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THE  LIBRARIES 


Bequest  of 

Frederic  Bancroft 

1860-1945 


'1^    ^?s^ 


DAVID    B.   UPDEGRAFF. 


Davit)  1^.  ripDEGRflFF 


-AND-  - 


HIS  WORK, 


BY 


gougan  ffilark  and  ^os^ph  R  Smitlr. 


CINClNNy4  Tl, 

Tublisbed  for  JOSEPH  H.  SMITH, 


» ..  •    ' ..» 


COPYRIGHT.    1895. 

BY 

JOSEPH   H.  SMITH. 


A- 


APMSTRONi,  &   FILLMORE,* 
CINCINNATI. 


PREFACE. 


71  CHILD  may  drop  flowers  upon  a  father's  grave. 
tn  Neither  the  child  nor  the  flowers  can  tell  how  great 
or  how  good  that  father  was ;  but  they  both  may  tell  that 
he  has  left  a  life  behind  which  lingers  in  the  fragrance  of 
grateful  love. 

Love  has  constrained  us  to  take  up  this  task,  which 
Providence  has  seemed  to  thrust  upon  us.  We  do  so, 
both  from  the  love  of  him  whose  memory  we  wish  cher- 
ished, and  from  the  love  of  HIM  whose  kingdom  we  w^ish 
to  extend.  We  feel  in  no  wise  "  sufficient  for  these 
things ;  "  but  are  at  once  confident  of  our  heavenly  Fa- 
ther's help,  and  of  the  charitable  indulgence  of  our  breth- 
ren and  sisters  in  the  Lord. 

In  penning  the  memorial  of  the  life  and  work  of  such 
an  one,  we  tread  upon  sacred  ground.  "  The  memory  of 
the  just  is  blessed."  Characters  like  that  of  David  B. 
Updegraff  stamp  generations  beyond  that  in  which  the}- 
lived.  Work  like  this  does  not  end  in  a  single  harvest, 
and  leave  the  soil  impoverished  for  those  who  are  to  fol- 
low. To  care  for  the  seed  which  he  would  have  distrib- 
uted to  those  who  are  to  scatter  it  over  fields  which  he 
had  plowed,  is  no  small  stewardship  and  responsibility. 

(iiij 


IV  PREFACE. 

None  can  do  it  as  we  would  like  to  have  it  done.  We 
can,  at  best,  render  a  most  imperfect  offering  in  this  serv- 
ice. The  conditions,  too,  under  which  we  are  laboring,  of 
impaired  physical  health,  and  of  all  the  irregularities  and 
inconveniences  incident  to  evangelistic  travel  and  toil, 
have  militated  against  our  task.  Yet  God  has  been  with 
us,  guiding  and  helping  us.  The  people  have  been  ex- 
ceedingly kind  in  the  patient  forbearance,  upon  which 
several  unavoidable  delays  have  made  demand.  We  trust 
they  may  find  their  patience  rewarded  with  a  better  book 
than  we  could,  under  the  circumstances,  have  presented 
earlier. 

We  are  comfortably  satisfied  that  those  who  want  Da- 
vid UpdegrafF's  memory  preserved,  and  his  werk  perpet- 
uated, are  many  more  than  those  who  would  have  him 
forgotten,  and  his  work  to  end.  A  few  have  expressed 
fears  that  his  views  might  outlive  him,  but  a  much  greater 
number  have  clamored  for  the  spread  of  the  truth  as  he 
was  enabled  to  present  it  to  the  comfort  and  salvation  of 
many  of  their  souls. 

We  have  been  fortunate  in  having  within  easy  reach 
and  access,  not  only  reliable  data  from  which  to  draw,  but 
some  of  his  own  true  yokefellows  and  bosom  companions 
as  w^ell.  So  that,  though  unable  to  do  him  or  his  work 
ample  justice,  we  may  still  hope  to  do  no  serious  injus- 
tice by  any  misstatement  of  his  views  or  position. 

The  work  of  Doctor  Clark  will  be  found ,  for  the  most 
part,  in  the  first  part  of  the  book  (as  will  also  valuable 
information  furnished  by  Esther  Pritchard  Tuttle).  But 
as  it  has  been  our  preference,  and  we  believe,  too,  the 
sense  of  the  interested  friends,  that  the  name  of  Dougan 
Clark  should  be  associated  with  the  editorship  of  the  book 
as  a  whole,  we  have  also  felt  freedom  to  incorporate  mat- 


PREFACE.  V 

ter  furnished  by  him,  in  different  parts  of  the  book,  as 
best  suited  to  the  arrangement  adopted. 

Though  the  bulk  of  the  labor,  with  most  of  its  details 
and  responsibilities,  has  fallen  upon  one  so  unworthy,  so 
weak,  so  busy,  yet,  if  the  friends  and  readers  will  follow 
the  effort  with  their  prayers,  asking  that  its  true  aim  may 
be  reached  in  sanctifying  and  liberating  blessing  carried 
thus  to  many  souls,  we  will  ever  gladly  regard  it  as  one 
of  the  most  delightful  and  cheerful  toils  of  our  life, 
that  we  have  been  permitted  to  do  a  little  thui:  to  pre- 
serve the  memory  and  perpetuate  the  work  of  one  who 
was  so  dear  to  our  own  heart  and  ministry  as  David  B. 
Updegraff.  JOSEPH  H.  SMITH. 

"Red  Gate," 
New  Castle,  Indiana, 

July  1,  1895. 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE 

CHAPTER  I.— Authority  and  Scope,     ....  l 

Biblical  Biography.  Spiritual  Biography.  Preserva- 
tiou  aud  Perpetuation  of  Influence  and  Ministry. 

CHAPTER  II.— Of  Godly  Ancestry,       ....  9 

he   Faith   that   was    in    his    Grandmother   and    his 
Mother  aud  in  Him  also. 

CHAPTER  III.— Conversion, 15 

Like  Nicodemus,  he  must  be  born  again.  Conversion 
Defined.  An  Old  Methodist  Revival.  Pungent  Con- 
viction. Public  Confession.  A  Night  at  Bethel.  A 
Marvelous  Transition.     Succeeding  Life. 

CHAPTER  IV.— Entire  Sanctification,        ...  24 

Zeal  for  Souls.  Concern  about  his  Own  State.  Incited 
by  a  Hearsay  Gospel  to  seek  Full  Salvation.  Con- 
viction of  Inbred  Sin.  At  Peniel.  The  Struggle 
and  Surrender  of  Entire  Consecration.  The  Baptism 
with  the  Holy  Ghost.  In  the  Canaan  of  Perfect 
Love.     A  Witness. 

CHAPTER  v.— A  Genuine  Quaker 37 

A    Loyal    Churchman,   though    a   Catholic   Christian.     . 
True  Quakerism  Misunderstood  Because  Misrepre- 
sented by  Many  Quakers.     The  Original  Spirituality 
of  this  Church  Revived. 

CHAPTER  VI.— A  Fuli.-Length  Portrait,    ...  47 

His  Character  Graphically  and  Faithfully  Described  by 
John  Henry  Douglas.     Poem  by  Fannie  J.  Crosby. 

CHAPTER  VII.— Preacher,        ...'...         50 
Manly,  Christly,  Loving,  Scriptural,  Intellectual.     His 
Homiletical  Habits,  Pulpit  Style,  etc. 

CHAPTER  VIIL— Pastor  and  Teacher,  .        .         58 

Diversified  Gifts.  Gifts  versus  Offices  in  the  Minis- 
try. His  Position  to  the  Flock  of  Christ  a  Relation 
Rather  than  an  Ofiice.  Ability  to  Open  Script- 
ure, etc. 

(vi) 


.     CONTENTS.  vii 

CHAPTER  IX.— A  Modei.  Evangei^ist,      ....  t>6 

Evangelists.  Criticism  of.  Place  of.  Passion  for  Souls. 
Mode  of  Ivcading  Meetings.  Determination  for  Re- 
sults.    Field,  Compensation,  etc. 

CHAPTER  X.— Author  and  Editor,  ....  73 
Style.  Contributions  to  Press.  Employed  by  Forum. 
Editor  of  Friends'  Expositor.  Specimen  Edito- 
rial. Criticisms  of  Drummond,  of  I^ew  Wallace,  of 
Thomas  Kimber,  of  Philadelphia  Yearly  Meeting, 
of  Burnes'  Fanaticism. 

CHAPTER  XL— Home  Life, 85 

Afifectionateness.  Cheerfulness.  Helpfulness.  Good 
Management.  Hospitality.  Letters  to  Mrs.  Ilpde- 
grafif  from  the  Battle-field.  Birthday  Poem  Written 
by  his  Daughter. 

CHAPTER  xn.— His  Baptism 96 

Conviction.  Rev.  Edgar  Levy's  Account  of  his  Bap- 
tism.    His  Esteem  of  its  Importance,  etc. 

CHAPTER  XIII.— Champion  of  Toi^erance,  .  .  .  108 
His  Position  Correctly  Stated.  Papacy  in  Protestant- 
ism. Spiritual  Degeneracy  Exhibited  in  Ecclesias- 
tical Tyranny.  A  Good  Warfare  and  Some  Con- 
quests. Current  Specimen  of  Existing  Intolerance. 
Methodist  Bishop  and  Presiding  Elders.  Inquisito- 
rial Questions  Submitted  to  Dougan  Clark  Calling 
upon  him  to  Recant  in  the  Matter  of  Baptism. 

CHAPTER  XIV.— Religious  Tolerance  as  Related  to 

Christian  Unity, 12P, 

An  Able  Address  by  David  Updegraflf. 

CHAPTER  XV.— A  Standard-bearer  of  Holiness,  .  137 
Rev.  Asbury  Lowry's  Estimate.  In  Accord  with  Geo. 
Fox  and  John  Wesley.  Opposed  to  Antinomianism. 
Proclaimed  Real  Liberty  to  the  Captives.  New  Un- 
foldings  of  the  Old  Doctrine  of  the  Baptism  of  the 
Holy  Ghost. 

CHAPTER  XVL— Steps  in  the  Experience  of  the 

Apostles 144 

A  Sermon. 


viii  CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

CHAPTER  XVII.— Position  on  the  Church  Question,      154 
Not  an  Anarchist.     No  Encouragement  to  Comeout- 
ism.    Discontent  Discouraged,    No  New  Sects  Need- 
ed for  the  Promotion  of  Holiness. 

CHAPTER   XVIII.— INTERDENOMINATIONAI,  WORK,  .  160 

Too  Great  for  One  Church.  Holiness  Demolishing 
Sectarian  Walls.  He  Finds  a  Ready  Welcome  in 
Many  Places  as  the  Herald  of  a  Full  Salvation.  A 
Summer's  Campaign.     Mountain  Lake  Park. 

CHAPTER  XIX.— Views  on  Various  Topics,        .        .        181 
The   Sabbath   Question.     Inherited   Tendencies.     On 
Divine   Healing.     Birthright    Membership.      Elders 
and   their   Use.     "All   in  Jesus."     Deposing  Minis- 
ters, etc. 

CHAPTER  XX.— Views  o^  \ k^iovs  Tovics— {Continued) ,    205 
Baptism  with  the  Holy  Ghost.     Letter  to  Minister  in 
Search  of  Holiness.    Courage.     Sectarianism  in  Mis- 
sion Work.     Ministry  of  Women.     The  Bible,  etc. 

CHAPTER  XXL— The  Parousia, 233 

Sermon  Showing  his  Views  of  Christ's  Second  Coming. 

CHAPTER  XXII.— Confessions  of  a  Quaker,      .        .        239 
An  Able  Delineation  of  the  History,  Character,  and 
Condition  of  the  Friends'  church  furnished  by  him 
for  the  Forum. 

CHAPTER  XXIIL— A  Finished  Course,  .  .  .  254 
Premonitions.  Everything  Ready  for  the  End,  which 
comes  Unexpectedly  to  Many.  His  Own  Presenti- 
ment Concerning  the  Sentence  of  Death.  Prayer  for 
his  Recovery.  Love  and  Hope  Misinterpreted  the 
Spirit's  Telegrams.  His  Departure,  Funeral,  Memo- 
rial Service,  Notes  and  Telegrams  of  Appreciation 
and  Condolence. 

CHAPTER  XXIV.— Memoriai^s  and  Loving  Tributes,      269 
Rev.  E.  I.  D.  Pepper's  Memorial  Editorial  in  the  Chris- 
tian  Standard.      Services  at   Hutchinson,   Kansas, 
Mountain  Lake   Park,  Pitman  Grove,  Philadelphia, 
and    Elsewhere.       Words    of   Tribute    from    Man 
Friends. 

CHAPTER  XXV.— His  Works  do  Foi.i,ow  Him,   .        .        306 


CHAPTER  I. 

AUTHORITY,    OBJECT    AND    SCOPE    OF   THIS    MEMOIR. 

INSPIRATION  establishes  the  precedent  of  recording 
biographies  of  God's  servants,  particularly  of  those 
who,  like  Abraham  or  Moses  or  Paul,  marked  epochs  or 
distinguished  eras  in  the  progress  of  Christ's  kingdom 
among  men.  Such  recorded  lives  have  a  twofold  value 
and  purpose.  (1)  They  acquaint  us  with  God's  dealings 
with  individuals,  and  with  the  use  He  condescends  to 
make  of  them  in  furthering  His  designs.  (2)  They  tend 
to  perpetuate  or  immortalize  the  truths  exemplified  in 
their  lives  or  promulgated  in  their  ministries. 

But  biographies  of  Scripture  differ  from  all  others  in 
several  particulars.  Their  very  inspiration  is  evidenced 
by  the  impartiality  with  which  they  record  the  faults  and 
failures,  as  well  as  the  virtues  and  victories,  of  heroic  char- 
acters. They  omit  all  that  which  has  no  bearing  upon 
the  main  subject  of  which  the  Bible  treats  throughout, 
which  is  the  Redemption  of  man  through  the  man,  Christ 
Jesus.  Their  accuracy  is  infallible  in  all  matters  essen- 
tial. Therefore  the  study  of  Scriptural  biography  is  a 
most  important  part  of  the  study  of  God's  word.  It  is 
really  the  study  of  Theology  in  the  concrete.  It  is  the 
study  of  human  links  of  connection  between  great  sec- 


'2  MEMOIR  OF  DA  VID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

tions  of  sacred  history.  It  combines  the  knowledge  of 
the  course  of  Providence  with  the  knowledge  of  the  ways 
of  grace. 

In  presenting  this  memorial,  we  shall  strive  to  emulate 
the  high  standards  established  by  these  inspired  prece- 
dents in  at  least  these  simple  particulars. 

First.  We  aim  at  a  spiritual y  rather  than  a  7iatural,  bi- 
ography. Ancestry,  nativity,  youth,  education,  circum- 
stances, natural  gifts,  etc.,  are  often  abused  and  per- 
verted by  an  unfaithful  stewardship,  and  upon  the  other 
hand,  often  so  magnified  by  the  enthusiastic,  historian, 
as  to  accord  little  glory  to  Christ  in  the  narrative,  and  to 
utterly  discourage,  rather  than  to  stimulate,  those  who 
should  be  benefited  by  such  lives.  Justice,  it  is  true, 
wall  require  us  to  notice  unusual  talents  and  exceptional 
advantages,  particularly^  in  the  ancestry  of  Brother  Up- 
degraff ,  but  if  we  are  to  breathe  his  own  spirit  of  humil- 
ity as  well  as  that  of  his  Master,  we  must  rather  show 
that  it  was  the  presentation  of  all  these  upon  God's  altar, 
and  their  being  made  to  glow  as  did  the  burning  bush  of 
Moses,  which  made  him  what  he  was,  and  enabled  him 
to  bless  so  many  souls. 

.  Second.  We  purpose  aiding  our  readers  to  see  in  him 
an  illustration  of  how  \\\q.  primitive  Christianity  of  apos- 
tolic times  is  adapted  to  the  age  and  land  i7i  which  we  live. 
Many  think  the  graces  and  gifts  of  the  Spirit  are  obso- 
lete ;  that  such  recorded  lives  as  that  of  Paul  were  meant 
to  be  monuments  rather  than  patterns.  The  Hol}^  Ghost 
Christianity  of  the  early  days  is  to  some  like  the  Egyp- 
tian pyramids — something  gigantic,  mysterious  and  inim- 
itable. But  we  believe  that  the  individual  and  church 
life  of  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles  is  but  an  inspired  frontis- 
piece to  church  history,  and  that  all  Christian  life  of  all 


AUTHORITY,  OBJECT  AND  SCOPE.  ^ 

ages  is  to  be  modeled  after  that  pattern.  David  Upde- 
graff  is  a  specimen  of  a  Pentecostal  character  who  lived 
in  this  latter  half  of  the  nineteenth  century ;  a  spiritual 
man  of  the  times. 

Third.  We  purpose  underscoring  some  things  in  his 
life  which  may  serve  to  emphasize  curreiit  movements  in 
the  history  of  his  own  church,  and  in  the  church  at  large. 
Movements  with  which  he  was  prominently  identified, 
and  some  of  which  he  inaugurated ;  others  he  intensified. 
We  have  hope  hereby  to  furnish,  in  this  time  of  multi- 
plied organizations,  and  of  absorption  in  what  is  called 
the  practical  side  of  Christianity,  a  glimpse  of  some  of 
the  leading  spiritual  agitations  and  potent  factors  in  the 
church  life  of  our  day,  which,  as  the  soul  to  the  body, 
would  animate  and  energize  all  the  different  members 
and  motions,  and  which,  like  the  soul  again,  is  so  much 
greater  than  the  body,  that  we  have  to  consider  them 
aside  from  and  above  organization  itself.  They  partake 
so  largely  of  the  spiritual  that  those  given  to  measuring 
things  by  sense  and  numbers,  are  apt  to  overlook  them. 

David  Updegraff  will  be  found  to  be  a  man  so  true  to 
the  church  corporate  as  never  to  have  been  open  to  the 
suspicion  of  being  visionary ;  and  yet  so  closely  allied 
with  the  broad  aggressive  spiritual  movements  of  the  day 
as  never  to  be  accused  of  idolatry  of  organization,  nor  of 
bondage  to  it. 

While  hardly  called  upon  here  to  rehearse  or  to  record 
imperfections,  we  have  no  thought  of  laying  claim  to  per- 
fection for  this  object  of  our  love  and  admiration  (save 
only,  of  course,  in  a  New  Testament  and  Christian  sense 
of  perfection).  Men  are  not  meant  to  be  perfect  in  this 
probationary  state.  Their  environment  is  imperfect ;  so 
is  their  inheritance  from  a  fallen  human  nature.     Their 


4  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

opportunities,  also,  have  been  both  partial  and  defective. 
The  consequence  is,  that  though  man  may  have  a  perfect 
treasure  of  grace,  he  will,  nevertheless,  have  this  treas- 
ure in  an  earthen  vessel,  marred  in  many  ways.  Yet, 
such  is  the  magnanimity  of  the  grace  of  God,  and  such 
its  omnipotence,  that  even  infirmities  become  occasions  of 
more  abundant  grace  to  man,  and  more  manifest  glory  to 
God.  We  believe  it  was  so  with  David  Updegraff .  |What- 
ever  his  infirmities  were  (and  we  may  have  been  too 
blinded  with  love  to  know)  they  never  became  the  ground 
of  a  pessimistic  self-depreciation  or  despair,  but  rather 
the  occasion  of  a  most  humble  confidence  in  God's  suffi- 
ciency and  a  most  sympathetic  touch  with  man's  frailty. 
The  whole  man,  moods,  manners  and  mind,  was  under 
Christ's  touch  and  influence  so  fully  that  he  glorified  God 
not  only  in  his  spirit  but  in  his  body  as  well,  which  was 
Christ's. 

Not  then  a  perfect,  but  a  7iormal  man  ;  a  normal  man 
AND  A  NORMAi,  MiNivSTER.  In  this  light  we  commend 
him  to  all  men  for  emulation  and  imitation.  He  was  a 
copy  of  nobody ;  he  was  the  artificial  product  of  no  human 
sy.stem  of  making  ministers.  This  emulation  may  V)e  the 
more  general  since  he  was  a  man  of  affairs — affairs  such 
as  most  men  have  to  deal  with ;  and  since  he  represented 
the  common  priesthood  of  all  believers  more  fully  than 
simply  a  separate  ministerial  class  or  order.  His  minis- 
terial training  was  gained  in  the  school  of  Nature,  the 
ways  of  Providence,  the  secret  places  of  Christ's  love, 
and  the  open  fields  of  soul-saving  work.  Men  will  do 
well  to  learn  from  the  ministry  of  his  manhood,  and  min- 
isters to  learn  from  the  manliness  of  his  ministry. 

Two  evils  stare  us  in  the  face  in  connection  with  the 
preaching  of  Christ's  Gospel : 


AUTHORITY,  OBJECT  AND  SCOPE.  5 

The  one  is  the  evil  of  the  people  in  consenting  that  the 
work  of  the  ministry  be  restricted  to  a  single  class  of 
men,  and  made  a  profession.  Do  not  Christians  surren- 
der their  highest  prerogatives  when  they  thus  agree  only 
to  hear  the  truth,  when  the  plan  of  the  Spirit  provides 
for  their  own  highest  development  by  "  speaking  the 
truth  in  love,"  and  when  their  richest  eternal  gain  will 
be  the  result  of  having  turned  many  to  righteousness  ? 

The  other  evil  w^e  note  is,  that  much  of  the  training  of 
our  ministers  in  theological  scliools  is  more  technical  than 
practical ;  more  theological  than  experimental ;  more 
scholarly  than  spiritual.  The  result  is  a  ministry  which 
is  neither  in  close  touch  with  God  on  the  one  hand,  nor 
with  man  upon  the  other  hand  ;  whereas  the  ministry 
was  meant  to  be  a  bridge  between  the  two.  These  minis- 
ters are  often  more  artificial  than  natural,  more  human 
than  supernatural.  Without  presuming  to  decide  whether 
this  evil  is  a  result  of  the  system,  or  whether  it  is  simply 
representative  of  dangers  incidental  thereto,  we  can  not 
but  feel  that  the  ministry  and  success  of  David  B.  Upde- 
graff  should  be  pondered  as  proof  of  the  fact  that  the 
Spirit  and  the  Providence  of  God  will  coinbi^ie  to  utilize  the 
school  of  life,  and  the  earyiest  application  of  ojie^s  ransomed 
powers  to  the  hnprovement  of  ordiyiary  opportioiities  for  the 
qualification  of  a  living  man  to  preach  a  living  gospel  to  a 
living  people.  We  repeat  and  emphasize  this  fact,  that  he 
was  a  normal  man ;  normal,  in  that  he  was  a  perfect 
Christian  and  a  w^ell  developed  man — scriptural,  spiritual, 
sensible.  Normal,  in  that  his  ministry  was  but  the  un- 
hindered and  intense  product  of  this  Christianity  and  this 
manhood  combined. 

We  should  not  fail  to  note  here,  also,  as  it  may  appear 
in  various  connections  later,  a  striking  characteristic  of 


6  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

his  ministry  which  is  lacking  in  the  ministry  of  many, 
perverted  and  abused  in  that  of  many  more,  and  found 
in  its  purity  and  power  in  only  a  few.  What  shall  we 
call  it?  Polemical  ability  ?  That  hardly  tells  it  all,  con- 
sidering the  way  we  use  the  term  polemical.  Controver- 
sial skill  ?  But  controversy  now  means  no  more  than  con- 
tradiction and  personal  abuse  with  so  many,  and  this  was 
much  more  Christlike  than  that.  It  was  his  wisdom  and 
heroism  in  refuting  error  and  advocating  truth  against  all 
odds,  and  many  opposers.  His  versatility  of  moods,  and 
variety  of  gifts  so  eminently  qualified  him  either  to  '  an- 
swer a  fool  according  to  his  folly,'  to  clear  away  under- 
brush from  the  truthseeker's  way,  or  to  rebuke,  either^ 
with  sarcasm  or  with  strongest  logic,  the  man,  who,  tra- 
dition-bound, creed-dwarfed,  or  prejudice-blinded,  would 
block  the  way  of  others  against  the  entrance  of  light. 
The  vSainted  John  Fletcher  furnishes,  in  his  "  Checks,"  a 
remarkable  illustration  of  how,  "  though  the  man  of  God 
must  not  strive,  but  be  gentle  towards  all  men,"  he  can, 
in  the  spirit  of  truth  and  love,  most  "earnestly  contend 
for  the  faith  once  delivered  to  the  saints."  For  lack  of 
such  ability  on  the  part  of  the  standard-bearers  of  the 
church,  important  truths  are  often  surrendered  to  the 
eneftiy,  and  others  are  buried  from  notice  beneath  a  false 
peace.  Then,  upon  the  other  hand,  carnality  is  so  full  of 
contention .  that  many  injure  the  truth  they  profess  to 
defend  by  giving  way  to  "the  wrath  of  man  which 
worketh  not  the  righteousness  of  God." 

David  was  strong  and  skillful  in  debate,  though  he 
never  courted  it  on  its  own  account,  nor  wasted  it  upon 
trivial  subjects  nor  trifling  persons.  But  in  championing 
Tolerance  as  against  Ecclesiastical  oppression,  or  Full 
Salvation  as  against   worldliness   and   carnality   of   the 


AUTHORITY,  OBJECT  AND  SCOPE.  7 

church,  or  the  twisted  theology  of  the  preachers,  his  po- 
sitions were  irrefutably  sustained,  and  his  arguments  have 
not  yet  been  withstood. 

Perhaps  that  portion  of  this  memoir  which  relates  to  his 
own  church  and  questions  there  with  which  he  dealt,  may 
interest  others  as  well  as  Friends.  It  may  surprise  some  to 
find  that  there  are  such  momentous  questions  confronting 
the  spiritually-minded  within  that  church,  while  others, 
indeed,  may  be  surprised  to  find  the  evangelistic  capaci- 
ties and  capabilities  which  exist  within  this,  usually  con- 
sidered ,  exclusive  and  conservative  Society  when  once  the 
George  Fox  type  of  Quakerism  is  fully  revived  among 
them.  We  have  no  doubt,  upon  the  other  hand,  that  the 
Friends  will  be  pleased  and  interested  to  follow  their  own 
David,  as  he  merges  out  into  broader  fields,  and  is  found 
fighting  the  battles  of  the  Lord  elsewhere  as  well  as  at 
home.  His  interdenominational  family  will  praise  God  for 
the  most  excellent  church  and  people  of  whom  he  was 
vsuch  a  creditable  representative,  and  his  "  home  folks  " 
will  ever  rejoice  that  this,  their  son  and  brother  and  father 
proved  the  existence  of  a  true  Christian  unity  in  the 
churches  of  to-day,  by  the  fact  of  his  most  powerful 
and  blessed  ministry  through  the  open  doors  of  .so  many 
of  them,  without  the  sacrifice,  upon  his  part,  of  a  tithe  of 
the  allegiance  and  love  which  he  ever  delighted  to  show 
towards  the  church  of  his  fathers. 

Possibly  the  reader  will  be  aided  by  a  simple  and  natural 
division  of  the  book  as  follows : 

-^I.  A  concise  account  of  his  Ancestry,  Birth  and  Early 
Life. 

II.  A  History  of  his  Conversion,  Sanctification,  and 
Entrance  upon  Public  Work  and  Home  Life. 


8  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

III.  His  Work  as  Preacher,  Pastor,  Evangelist,  Author, 
and  Editor. 

IV.  His  Baptism  and  his  Championship  of  Tolerance  in 
the  Friends'  Church. 

V.  His  Doctrine  of  Holiness  and  his  Relation  to  the 
Modern  Holiness  Movement. 

VI.  Views  on  Various  Subjects. 

VII.  His  Finished  Course. 


CHAPTER   II. 


OF   GODLY   ANCESTRY. 


"Of  the  tribe  of  Benjamin,  an  Hebrew  of  the  Hebrews,  as 
touching  the  law,  a  Pharisee." — Phii,.  3 :  5. 

Q^OME  of  the  older  Friends  would  be  better  qualified 
J-J  than  I  to  tell  of  that  sturdy  stock  from  which  David 
Updegraff  came.  Sturd5^  not  only  from  a  physical  stand- 
point, as  pioneers  of  the  country,  but  far  beyond  the  aver- 
age in  vigor  of  mind,  and  richness  of  natural  faculties : 
still  more  stalwart  in  moral  and  religious  heroism,  and  in 
almost  incredible  labors  and  sacrifices  for  the  spread  of 
righteousness. 

Did  not  the  great  apostle  Paul,  in  rehearsing  Timothy's 
gifts  and  preparations  for  the  ministry,  make  special  note 
of  the  faith  that  was  first  in  his  grandmother  Lois,  and 
then  in  his  mother  Eunice,  as  well  as  that,  at  length,  in 
Timothy  himself?  So  it  seems  to  us,  that  while  natural 
generation  cannot  bequeath  spiritual  life,  nevertheless,  no 
account  of  this  remarkable  man's  character  would  be 
either  just  or  complete  which  failed  to  honor  his  noble 
ancestry. 

His  grandmother,  Ann  Taylor,  was  a  most  remarkable 
woman,  of  indomitable  zeal  and  heioic  devotion.  Many, 
in  the  vicinity  of  Mount  Pleasant,  Ohio,  are  still  familiar 
with  some  of  the  striking  features  of  her  character  and 

2  (9J 


10  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

ministry.  She  was  a  terror  to  evil-doers,  an  apostle  of  a 
most  rigorous  conscience,  a  prophetic  forerunner  of  the 
coming  days  of  a  greater  liberty  and  a  broader  Gospel 
light ;  an  itinerant  preacher  until  she  was  ninety  years 
old.  Her  husband  was  also  a  minister,  and  the  two  to- 
gether founded  the  Society  and  stamped  the  die  which 
fixed  the  high  moral  type  of  the  place. 

David  B.  Updegraff  was  the  youngest  son  of  David  and 
Rebecca  Updegraff,  and  was  born  at  Mount  Pleasant, 
Ohio,  in  the  year  1830.  His  mother  was  a  woman  anointed 
of  God  to  preach  the  Gospel;  and  in  her  faithful  devotion 
to  the  trust  thus  committed  to  her  she  paved  the  way 
for  the  liberty  which  his  grandmother  had  predicted  and 
which  he  was  to  be  so  instrumental  in  inaugurating  and 
extending.  She  was,  indeed,  a  most  loyal  soldier  of  the 
Cross.  Everything  dear  to  her  was  held  as  subordinate, 
subservient,  and  when  need  be,  sacrificial  to  her  call  and 
commission  of  God  to  carry  the  knowledge  of  Christ  to  a 
hungry  church  and  a  dying  world.  As  his  grandmother 
had  endured  the  toils  and  rigors  of  a  primitive  pioneer 
life,  midst  the  forests  and  hills  of  a  new  country,  so  too, 
his  mother  encountered  similar  toils  and  rigors  among 
the  hills  about  Jerusalem  and  the  second  growth  of  ec- 
clesiastical forestry  w^hich  had  grown  up  about  an  old 
church  clearing.  And  this  was  not  unattended  by  some 
chilling  wintr>"  blasts  and  east  winds  which  tested  the 
ruggedness  of  her  moral  constitution,  but  found  no  place 
there  weak  enough  to  give  way. 

Following  in  such  a  succession  as  this,  David  UpdegraflF 
did  inherit  susceptibilities  to  moral  conviction  and  spirit- 
ual light  and  capabilities  for  religious  exploit  to  an  un- 
usual degree.  Nature  and  Providence  had  thus  laid  a 
foundation  of  robust  strength,  mental  vigor,  and  of  daunt- 


OF  GODLY  ANCESTRY:  U 

less  courage,  exactly  suited  to  a  noble,  lofty,  broad  and 
independent  ministry.  A  child  of  such  practical  and  pro- 
gressive generations,  it  was  no  wonder  that  his  nature 
could  not  endure  the  sha^  and  sentiment  which  abound 
so  in  our  day.  He  was  so  thoroughly  practical  and  utili- 
tarian that  even  innocent  ornament  must  only  attract  to 
something  useful  and  worth  while. 

Here  is  a  brief  tribute  which  he  himself  pays  to  these 
godly  parents  and  their  faithful  training.  "  My  parents 
and  my  grandparents  were  all  of  the  highest  type  of  re- 
ligious people.  Two  of  my  grandparents  were  ministers 
and  one  of  them  died  in  a  foreign  land  while  on  a  religious 
mission.  My  father  was  an  elder  in  the  church,  a  man  of 
devout  and  sterling  piety,  while  my  saintly  mother  was 
a  preacher  of  the  glorious  Gospel  that  she  loved  so  much 
and  understood  so  well.  They  read  and  believed  in  Pres- 
ident Finney,  and  he  was  their  personal  friend ;  but  his 
Caleb-like  spirit  and  full  gospel  were  forty  years  in  ad- 
vance of  our  Israel ;  and  in  consequence,  stoning  with 
stones  (Num.  14 :  10)  was  a  common  occupation  in  those 
days,  and  not  wholly  a  lost  art  in  this. 

' '  Their  greatest  desire  for  their  children  was  that  they 
might  glorify  God  in  this  life,  and  enjoy  Him  forever. 
I  cannot  doubt  that  I  was  solemnly  given  to  God  from 
my  birth.  My  infant  lips  were  taught  to  pray,  and  when 
I  said, — 

'  Now  I  lay  me  down  to  sleep, 
I  pray  the  Lord  my  soul  to  keep,' 

I  really  expected  Him  to  do  it. 

"The  prayers,  restraints  and  instructions  of  faithful 
parents  were  not  lost  upon  me.  God  had  respect  unto 
their  covenant  for  their  children.  I  see  it  now  as  I  could 
not  then." 


12  MEMOIR  OF  DA  VID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

His  respect  for  his  mother's  character  and  memory  was 
exceedingly  loving  and  beautiful.  He  had,  by  a  quick, 
characteristic  intuitiveness,  discerned  in  his  boyhood  that 
she  was  called  upon  to  suffer  some  things  for  conscience' 
sake  and  for  the  Gospel.  This  had  touched  sympathetic 
cords  in  his  great  heart ;  and  we  think  we  often  saw  him 
when  he  seemed  to  gain  a  fresh  animation  and  inspira- 
tion in  his  mighty  efforts  to  free  the  captives  and  break 
the  shackles  of  ecclesiastical  bondage,  by  the  recollection 
of  the  way  this  saintly  mother  was  sometimes  hedged  in, 
misunderstood,  and  called  upon  to  suffer  by  those  whom 
she  sought  to  bless  with  her  ministry. 

As  a  boy,  he  was  bright,  intelligent,  affectionate  and 
of  very  strong  wnll ;  apt,  athletic,  exuberant,  mischiev- 
ous, full  of  force.  As  he  grew,  the  "old  man"  (his 
own  favorite  phrase  in  speaking  of  carnality)  and  he 
increased,  according  to  his  own  testimony,  "in  sinful- 
ness and  rebellion."  His  guarded  and  religious  bring- 
ing up,  however,. was  a  Providential  hedge  and  protec- 
tion to  him,  for  he  never  fell  into  gross  immorality 
or  vice  of  any  kind.  Yet  the  unfaltering  witness  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  was  present  to  reprove  him,  and  to  bring  him 
into  condemnation  for  the  sins  which  he  did  commit.  He 
was  often  led  into  distress  of  soul  on  this  account,  and 
would  earnestly  pray  for  forgiveness,  and  renew  his  cove- 
nants with  the  I^ord,  which,  however,  were  too  frequently 
broken. 

As  a  young  man  he  became  zealous  of  the  law,  and 
zealous  also  for  the  maintenance  of  the  peculiarities  of 
his  denomination.  That  is  to  say,  he  tended  strongly 
towards  both  legalism  and  sectarianism,  which  is  all  the 
more  worthy  of  note  here,  since,  as  we  shall  have  frequent 
occasions  to  see,  later,   his    sanctified  life  and  ministry 


OF  GODLY  ANCESTRY.  13 

waged  a  most  heroic  and  unrelenting  warfare  against  all 
such  bondage  and  narrowness. 

He  was  an  earnest  legalist  before  he  knew  the  Gospel. 
He  was  a  servant  before  he  was  a  son.  He  tarried  long 
at  Mt.  Sinai  which  gendereth  to  bondage.  He  kept  Ish- 
mael  in  the  house  with  Hagar  to  take  care  of  him  for 
several  years  before  Isaac  was  born.  In  his  case,  as  in 
thousands  of  others,  the  law  was  his  "  schoolmaster  to 
bring  him  to  Christ." 

Is  it  not  strange  how  men  may  live  in  the  twilight  of  a 
past  dispensation,  and  how  few  know  the  high  noon  of 
their  own  day  ?  Many  in  the  church  have  died  with  no 
better  and  no  different  type  of  religion  than  David  Upde- 
graff  had  in  these  days  of  his  young  manhood.  Indeed, 
many  are  living  beneath  these  Sinaitic  clouds  and  within 
sound  of  these  rumbling  thunders  now,  with  scarcely  a 
suspicion  that  the  Gospel  has  anything  better  for  them. 
Moreover,  there  are  ministers  and  some  theologians  who 
will  maintain  that  such  is  the  standard  Christian  experi- 
ence, and  they  will  run  to  the  seventh  chapter  of  Romans 
to  find  what  they  think  is  a  Christian  refuge  for  '  the  sin 
that  dwelleth  in  them,'  for  the  "  ups  "  and  "  downs"  of 
their  religious  life,  and  for  the  wretdiedness  of  their 
state.  David  Updegraff,  with  this  freedom  from  gross 
sins,  and  with  this  zeal  for  the  law,  and  especially  for 
the  traditions  of  his  forefathers,  would  have  been  cited 
by  many  as  an  exemplary  Christian,  and  his  failures  and 
sorrows  only  as  further  proof  of  that  fact,  whereas,  we 
shall  find,  that  the  light  of  the  Gospel  brought  him  to  see 
for  himself  that  he  was  yet  a  stranger  to  the  saving  grace 
of  God.  We  think  there  may  be  whole  denominations  of 
professing  Christians  in  the  same  state.  We  are  sure 
there  are  many  individuals  in  all  the  denominations  who 


14  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

are  in  exactly  this  condition.  It  is  time  an  alarm  was 
sounded  everywhere.  We  believe  the  doctrine'of  Assur- 
ance should  be  preached  from  every  pulpit,  and  the  ex- 
perimental knowledge  of  salvation  urged  upon  every 
heart,  as  the  only  conclusive  test  of  the  genuineness  and 
safety  of  one's  spiritual  condition.  David  Updegraff  de- 
voted much  of  his  subsequent  ministry  to  this  very  class, 
the  Jews  within  the  church.  His  early  experiences  had 
ably  qualified  him  to  distinguish  them  from  the  heathen 
world  upon  the  one  hand,  and  from  real  Christians  upon 
the  other.  Not  only  are  there  many  of  God's  true  people 
in  the  Wilderness,  but  whole  tribes  of  them  are  yet  in 
Egypt.  Distinct  they  are,  from  the  Egyptians,  yet  they 
have  never  had  a  personal  Exodus,  nor  a  crossing  of  the 
Red  Sea.  They  have  never  heard  the  music  of  Miri- 
am's song,  nor  joined  in  its  chorus.  Some  of  them  are 
"making  bricks,"  with  which  to  build  up  ecclesiastical 
monuments  or  sectarian  walls.  Any  efforts  they  make 
to  extricate  themselves  or  to  improve  their  condition 
results  in  greater  rigor  of  their  task-masters,  and  even 
in  the  withdrawal  of  their  usual  supply  of  straw.  But 
their  cry  is  coming  up  to  God.  Deliverance  will  come. 
The  night  seems  to  darken  over  a  soul  at  this  stage,  but 
the  day  is  at  hand.  David  Updegraff  was  not  only  not 
to  remain  in  bondage,  but  he  was  to  become  the  champion 
and  leader  of  liberty  to  his  own  people  and  to  many. 


CHAPTER  III. 

HIS    CONVERSION. 
"This  man  was  born  there."— Ps.  87  :  4.   • 

TO  some  it  may  seem  strange  to  talk  of  the  conver- 
sion of  one  who  is  already  a  strict  moralist  and  a 
zealous  religionist.  Indeed,  to  some  it  gives  serious 
offense.  Yet  it  was  to  just  such  a  man  —prudent,  proper, 
learned  and  influential  in  the  church — that  Jesus  said : 
"Ye  must  be  born  again."  Salvation  is  not  the  natural 
inheritance  of  any  man ;  neither  is  it  the  rightful  com- 
pensation of  any  works ;  nor  is  it  the  product  of  an  evo- 
lution, or  a  culture  of  character.  David  Updegraff  did 
inherit  a  birthright  membership  in  the  Society  of  Friends, 
and  this  he  never  despised.  But  he  did  not  thereby  in- 
herit a  place  in  the  invisible  kingdom  of  Christ ;  and  any 
perversion  of  birthright  membership  that  would  make 
such  a  claim  for  it,  he  faithfully  disclaimed  and  with- 
stood. He  did  no  doubt  inherit  susceptibilities  to  spirit- 
uality, but  not  spirituality  itself.  Just  as  he  inherited 
large  capacities  and  capabilities— physical  and  intellectual 
for  the  great  work  to  which  he  was  called;  but  no  anoint- 
ing or  energising  therefor  came  to  him  by  any  natural 
processes  or  generations. 

The  children    of   pious    parents    owe  much   to   their 
home  influences,  precedents  and  pedigree,  but  no  parent 

(.15j 


16  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

provides  an  atonement  with  which  to  purchase  life  for 
the  soul  of  his  child,  nor  do  any  possess  the  power  of 
propagating  the  seed  of  God.  ' '  That  which  is  born  of  the 
flesh  is  flesh;  "  from  which  we  are  to  understand  that  the 
offspring  of  natural  generation  is  carnal  in  its  moral  con- 
dition, and,  at  best,  but  furnishes  a  natural  base  for  the 
operation  of  the  grace  of  God.  Spiritual  life  is,  in  every 
case,  "  that  which  is  born  of  the  Spirit ;  "  a  divine  beget- 
ting ;  a  being  born  again^  which  implies  subsequency  to, 
as  well  as  distinctness  from,  natural  birth. 

It  is  a  confusing  mistake  if  we  use  the  term  "  Conver- 
sion "  in  an  exact  or  theological  sense,  for  us  to  limit  its 
application  to  the  heathen,  or  gross  sinners  on  the  one 
hand,  or  to  restrict  it  to  the  mere  changing  of  one's 
course  by  a  repenting  act  of  the  will,  upon  the  other. 
Most  properly,  it  is  in  a  Christian  sense,  a  synonym  for 
the  new  birth  just  spoken  of,  and  the  two  are  very  often 
used  interchangeably.  In  so  using  them,  however,  it 
must  be  borne  in  mind  that  man's  natural  state  and  rela- 
tion is  such  that  there  is  a  barrier — philosophical  and 
judicial — in  the  way  of  the  influx  of  this  new  life  into  his 
soul.  Consequently,  as  the  love  of  God"  cannot  be  pro- 
duced by  a  mere  volition  of  man,  so  neither  can  prayer 
for  the  new  birth  avail,  which  does  not  take  this  barrier 
into  account,  and  suitably  meet  the  conditions  for  its  re- 
moval. That  barrier  is  guilt,  and  as  a  consequence, 
"  remission  of  sins  "  is  the  objective  point  which  the  Gos- 
pel holds  before  the  awakened  soul.  This,  too,  though 
it  is  by  no  means  the  same  thing  as  the  new  birth,  is, 
nevertheless,  synonomous  with  conversion.  That  is  to 
say,  conversion  includes  the  work  of  pardon  for  us  and 
the  work  of  regeneration  in  us.  The  sinner  under  con- 
viction rarely  seeks  either  adoption  into  God's  family  or 


HIS  CONVERSION.  17 

regeneration  by  God's  grace,  but  nearly  always  the  forgive- 
ness of  his  sins  in  Jesus'  name.  This  is  surely  the  case 
where  sin  in  its  sinfulness  with  its  penalty  and  the  peril 
of  the  sinner  is  faithfully  preached.  Where  these  are  not 
earnestly  brought  out,  and  souls  are  simply  exhorted  to 
seek  a  sense  of  acceptance  or  a  consciousness  of  God's 
love,  without  due  consideration  of  the  cause  of  their  con- 
demnation or  the  barrier  to  divine  love,  the  result  is  gen- 
erally superficial,  unsatisfactory  and  often  spurious. 

Yes  we  say  "  spurious."    And  were  the  subject  of  this 
memoir  present  to  speak  as  of  old,  he  would  expose  the 
artificiality  and  deceptivetiess  of  viany  so-called  conversions 
of  this  day.    Unlike  his  own,  they  are  unattended  by  pen- 
itential tears.     Their  strongest  element  seems  to  be  their 
own  resolution  to  lead  a  new  life  (and  ofttimes  this  is 
very  weak).     Their  best  assurance  is  the  subsiding  of 
their  temporarily  aroused  emotional  grief,  or  the  comfort- 
ing announcement  of  some  one  in  charge  that  they  are 
converted  or  that  they  are  "  all  right  now."     Others  are 
not  at  all  converted  to  God,  but  to  some  one  of   the 
churches  or  to  some  mode  of  baptism  or  to  something 
else  as  relatively  insignificant.     Real  conversion  is  con- 
version of  God,  and  unto  God.     It  is  a  divine  work, 
bringing  the  soul  into  harmony  with  the  divine  law,  and 
into  participation  in  the  divine  love  and  to  a  place  in  the 
divine  family. 

The  circumstances  attending  David  Updegraff's  con- 
version were  these :  It  was  in  a  Methodist  Church  in  the 
town  where  he  lived  and  where  he  had  grown  up.  The 
''protracted  meeting"  had  developed  into  a  good  old- 
fashioned  revival  of  religion.  The  community  was  much 
stirred,  and  many  of  all  classes  were  being  awakened  and 
saved.     Notwithstanding   the   conservative   type   which 


18  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

the  dominant  churches  of  the  place  gave  to  it,  it  seemed 
that  everything  was  moving  as  by  a  moral  earthquake. 
David  attended  these  meetings.  He  had  previously  been 
undergoing  much  conflict  and  unrest,  under  his  legalism, 
and  in  face  of  his  many  failures  and  mortifications.  The 
meeting  was  calculated  to  define  and  intensify  his  con- 
victions. He  began  first  to  suspect,  and  then  to  see  that 
something  w^as  radically  wrong.  Hitherto  he  thought 
it  had  been  simply  carelessness,  lack  of  regularity  in  his 
devotions,  weakness  in  executing  his  resolutions,  etc., 
and  that  his  only  remedy  was  more  bricks  and  less  straw. 
But  now,  as  Saul  was  met  on  the  way  to  Damascus,  so 
was  he  met.  He  saj^s,  "  God  met  me  in  wondrous 
power."  He  was  now  more  than  thirty  years  of  age,  was 
married  and  settled  in  life,  had  a  place  in  the  church  by 
birthright  and  a  strengthening  position  in  it  by  zeal  and 
works.  Yet  God  chose  neither  the  secret  of  his  closet 
nor  the  circle  of  his  family  nor  the  gatherings  of  his  own 
Society  as  the  place  for  this  w^ondrous  meeting,  but  this 
Methodist  revival.  Was  this  predictive  of  the  broaden- 
ing interdenominational  fields  which  he  was  to  enter? 
Or  was  it  simply  illustrative  of  the  blessings  and  divine 
greetings  which  await  many  souls  just  over  the  walls  of 
their  own  sectarian  bounds  ? 

Some  sort  of  a  denominational  amalgamation  .or  re- 
vival work  w^ould  greatly  help  the  cause  of  Christ  and  the 
salvation  of  souls.  Not  that  imitative  unity  which  is 
sometimes  affected,  but  which  is  as  feeble  in  its  results 
as  it  is  farcial  in  its  composition,  but  real  downright 
amalgamation  of  the  tribes  of  Israel  for  the  purposes  of 
holy  warfare. 

Hear  now  his  own  words :  "  I  met  the  test  of  public 
confession  of  sins  and  need  of  a  Savior.     It  w^as  a  hard 


HIS  CONVERSION.  19 

struggle,  for  I  was  proud  and  stubborn,  but  my  dear  wife 
joined  me  at  the  penitent's  form,  and  we  mingled  our 
tears  and  prayers  together.  I  thank  God  to  this  day  for 
the  depth  and  pungency  of  old-fashioned  conviction. 
Rebellion  against  God  was  seen  and  felt  to  be  the  awful 
and  damning  thing  that  it  is. 

**  I  was  glad  to  submit  to  God,  and  to  agree  to  His 
terms — any  terms — in  order  to  have  peace  with  Him." 

We  pause  here  a  moment  in  the  midst  of  this  narra- 
tive to  emphasize  attention  upon  the  pungency  of  his 
conviction  and  the  thoroughness  of  his  repentance. 
Notwithstanding  his  character  and  standing,  he  was 
made  to  see  and  to  feel  his  "  rebellion  against  God,"  and 
to  know  its  "damning"  character.  He  encountered 
both  "stubbornness"  and  "pride"  in  the  way  of  his 
surrender,  but  felt  that  the  test  was  upon  him  to  make 
public  cojifession  of  his  sins,  and  of  his  need  of  a  Savior. 
Yet  they  will  tell  us  that  such  *'  conviction  is  a  thing  of 
the  past,"  or  that  it  is  "  only  experienced  by  gross  and 
hardened  sinners  like  the  Philippian  jailer."  We  vent- 
ure the  opinion  that  Saul  of  Tarsus,  Pharisee  as  he  was, 
felt  conviction  as  deeply  as  did  the  jailer  referred  to. 
And  here  we  find  a  precise,  proud,  prominent  Quaker 
writhing  in  the  agony  of  convicting  grace,  and  crying 
with  tears  and  groans  for  God's  pardoning  mercy.  Oh, 
that  Zion  might  travail  more  that  she  might  bring  forth ! 
Oh,  that  seekers  might  be  allowed  to  struggle  more  in 
prayer  for  themselves,  and  talked  to  less  than  they  are 
at  many  altars  ! 

Let  us  follow  David  to  his  home  that  night.  He  adds : 
"  But  the  witness  of  the  Spirit  did  not  come,  and  after  all 
others  had  retired,  I  had  it  out  with  my  Lord  in  the 
silent  watches  of  the  night,  upon  my  library  floor ;  and 


20  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

as  people  sometimes  say,  I  was  converted  through  and 
through,  and  I  knew  it.  I  was  free  as  a  bird.  Justified 
by  faith,  I  had  peace  with  God.  His  Spirit  witnessed 
with  my  spirit  that  I  was  born  again."  The  last  run  in 
this  race  for  life  is  usually  made  by  the  soul  alone  with 
God.  The  Spirit  lets  others  help  lead  them  up  the  ap- 
proach to  the  gate  that  lets  them  into  the  kingdom,  but 
He  has  a  divine  jealousy  to  conduct  each  one  himself 
into  the  presence  of  Jesus  and  introduce  the  soul  to  its 
lyord  and  Savior.  Much  damage  may  be  done  by  a  fail- 
ure to  trust  the  Holy  Spirit  for  His  office  work  at  this 
point.  It  is  better,  as  an  altar  service  closes,  to  have 
unsatisfied  persons  freely  state  their  condition  than  to 
precipitate  them  into  a  confession  or  testimony. 

David's  public  confession,  we  see  here,  was  followed  by 
private  importunity  in  the  still  hours  of  the  night  alone 
with  God.  He  was  seeking  salvation — a  salvation  that 
might  be  known.  He  at  length  became  willing  to  pay 
the  price.  He  would  no  longer  argue  about  the  "terms." 
Man's  covenant  with  God  is  of  the  nature  of  a  cojisent  to 
God's  conditions  of  peace  and  salvation.  Submission 
only  is  the  cost  of  pardon  to  us.  The  sacrifice  which 
has  purchased  it  has  been  made  by  another.  Oh,  how 
hard  it  is  for  some  men  to  surrender  and  sink  down  into 
simple  trust !  But  how  ample  is  the  reward  !  "I  was 
converted  through  and  through."  "  I  knew  it."  "I  was 
free  as  a  bird."  *'  I  had  peace  with  God."  "  His  Spirit 
witnessed."     Glory! 

We  shall  notice  him  now  in  the  experience  and  life 
which  follow.  No  doubt  had  there  been  some  one  then 
to  lead  him  at  once  up  into  the  ' '  fullness  of  the  blessing 
of  the  Gospel  of  Christ,"  he  would  joyfully  have  followed 
on  into  the  ' '  more  excellent  way."     Few  young  converts 


ms  CONVERSION.  21 

now  have  the  privilege  the  Gospel  entitles  them  to  of 
knowing  at  once  that  it  is  their  privilege  to  receive  the 
promise  of  the  Father  in  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 
The  result  is,  that  few  retain  a  normal  experience  of 
Justification.  For  it  is  the  fixed  law  of  grace  to  condi- 
tion the  maintenance  of  what  land  we  possess  upon  the 
earnest  effort  to  procure  additional  territory.  No  pre- 
sentation of  Remission  of  Sins  by  Jesus'  Blood  is  com- 
plete which  does  not  leave  the  soul  in  confident  expecta- 
tion of  the  further  and  fuller  work  of  grace  which  John 
called  the  Baptism  with  the  Holy  Ghost  and  fire. 

David  Updegraff  goes  on  to  say  :  "  I  was  at  once  a  glad 
and  willing  witness  to  the  power  of  Jesus  to  save.  For  a 
time  I  was  faithful  and  obedient.  Then  came  wayward- 
ness, neglect  and  disobedience.  This  brought  severe 
chastening  and  suffering  from  the  hand  of  the  I^ord,  fol- 
lowed by  restoration  of  soul.  My  consecration  to  His 
service  was  renewed  from  time  to  time.  I  longed  to  see 
God  glorified  in  the  salvation  of  souls  and  the  liberation 
of  the  church.  Several  years  had  passed  since  I  had 
found  the  liberty  of  the  sons  of  God ;  and  yet  I  had  seen 
but  few  brought  into  the  kingdom.  To  be  sure,  I  was 
only  a  business  man,  and  was  utterly  averse  to  the  idea  of 
beitig  a  minister,  but  greatly  desired  to  serve  both  God 
and  men  in  a  quiet  and  unobtrusive  way.  The  church 
began  to  lay  some  work  upon  me,  but  I  shrank  from  it 
with  a  deep  sense  of  unfitness." 

Looking  at  this  frank  and  full  statement,  what  a  pho- 
tograph we  find  in  it  of  many  of  the  sons  and  daughters 
of  God  !  Indeed,  as  some  have  now  read  it,  they  have 
said  silently,  if  not  audibly,  "That's  my  experience 
exactly."  They  "  run  well  for  a  season,"  as  he  did,  but 
then  like  him  they  grew  "careless,  wayward,  neglectful 


22  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B,  UPDEGRAFF. 

and  disobedient."  They  suffer,  therefore,  the  chasten- 
ings  of  the  Lord ;  they  are  not  utterly  cut  off ;  not 
wholly  backslidden;  they  have  not  sinned  unto  death; 
they  find  yet  in  Christ  their  sacrifice  for  sins.  But 
they  are  rebuked  and  judged  of  the  Lord;  some  by 
the  withdrawal  of  the  comforts  of  His  grace,  others 
by  the  removal  of  the  comforts  of  His  providence,  and 
many  by  deprivations,  both  in  the  realm  of  grace  and  in 
that  of  Providence.  But  they  repent,  they  renew  their 
vows,  they  revive  their  zeal,  they  take  another  start. 
Yet  they  are  unfruitful  in  the  knowledge  of  God,  at  least 
comparatively  so.  They  have  no  stars  for  their  crowns 
of  rejoicing.  They  are  gathering  no  sheaves  for  the 
great  harvest  day.  The}^  are  sensible  of  buried  talents. 
They  shirk  responsibilities.  They  miss  opportunities. 
They  have  a  growing  sense  of  ill-adjustment  to  God 
within  and  to  His  providential  dealings  without.  The 
coming  of  their  Lord  loses  much  of  the  attractiveness 
with  which  it  should  be  anticipated  by  God's  children, 
.for  they  fear  He  will  not  find  them  faithful  stewards, 
giving  his  household  meat  in  due  season. 

If  these  defects  and  difficulties  of  Christian  life,  so 
general  and  so  serious,  could  be  mastered  and  corrected 
at  all,  by  natural  means,  or  by  ordinary  Christian  growth, 
we  think  it  quite  probable  that  they  would  have  been  so 
disposed  of  in  the  case  of  David  Updegraff.  We  are 
prone,  sometimes,  to  charge  them  to  the  fickleness  of 
youth;  but  he  was  a  man  of  mature  years,  and  "  settled 
in  life."  We  think  that  all  they  need  is  strength  of 
character  to  hold  on  their  way;  but  he  was  a  man  of 
unusual  physical,  mental  and  moral  force,  with  an  indom- 
itable will.  Many  believe  that  the  Christian  will  out- 
grow these  things  and  become  established;  but  alas!  alas! 


HIS  CONVERSION.  23 

these  things  outgrow  him  ofttimes,  and  he  becomes  estab- 
lished in  his  besetments  and  in  his  habits  of  failing  and 
falling,  and  what  is  quite  as  bad,  in  pessimistic  views  as 
to  the  probability  of  ever  doing  better.  No.  As  David 
Updegraff's  life  and  experience  have  demonstrated  that 
spiritual  life  is  not  begun  by  a  natural  generation,  so 
have  his  experience  and  life  demonstrated  that  spiritual 
life  is  not  perfected  in  its  satisfactions  or  in  its  equip- 
ments by  natural  strength  nor  by  laws  of  natural  life 
applied  to  spiritual  growth.  It  is  true  in  this  as  in  other 
things  that  it  is  "not  by  might,  nor  by  power,  but  by 
my  Spirit,  saith  the  Lord." 


CHAPTER   IV. 

HIS   ENTIRE   SANCTIFICATION. 

"  And  he  called  the  name  of  the  place  Peniel,  for  I  have  seen 
God  face  to  face,  and  my  life  is  preserved." — Gen.  32 :  30. 

THIS  is  the  most  momentous  thing  we  have  to  record 
in  connection  with  David  B.  Updegraff.  Not  be- 
cause of  remarkable  attendant  phenomena,  but  because 
of  its  subjective  results  in  his  own  character,  and  its  rel- 
ative bearings  upon  his  work  and  ministry.  It  is  safe 
to  affirm  that  the  world  and  the  church  at  large  would 
never  have  known  him  but  for  this  mighty  work  of 
grace.  It  is  quite  certain  that  many  men  and  women  of 
marked  talents  and  ability  are  never  known  and  used  for 
lack  of  the  Baptism  with  the  Holy  Ghost.  Their  talents 
are  buried  in  napkins  ;  and  many  of  them  come  to  enter- 
tain hard  thoughts  about  their  Master,  as  did  the  wicked 
and  slothful  servant.  True,  his  natural  force  of  char- 
acter might  have  won  him  distinction  in  lines  of  business, 
or  waj^s  of  the  world.  True,  too,  that  the  first  work  of 
grace  had  begun  to  draw  out  his  heart  in  affectionate  de- 
sire and  in  loving  efforts  to  be,  in  some  way,  a  blessing 
to  those  around  him.  But  David  Updegraff,  the  preacher, 
pastor,  evangelist,  champion  of  religious  liberty,  religious 
author  and  editor,  was  not  born  until  that  memorable 
night  when  he  passed  over  into  the  Canaan  of  Perfect 
Love. 

(24) 


HIS  ENTIRE  SANCTIFICATION.  25 

In  a  sense  not  intended  by  the  original,  his  case  dem- 
onstrated that  there  were  "  giants  in  that  land."  Certain 
it  is  that  there  were  battles  of  the  Lord  which  he  fought  — 
a  valiant,  aggressive  warfare,  in  which  he  had  never  en- 
listed, nor  could  ever  have  waged  a  successful  fight, 
until  he  received  the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost  coming 
upon  him. 

We  are  disposed  to  linger  here  because  of  the  import- 
ance of  this  matter,  as  it  affects  thousands  of  Christians 
all  around  us,  and  indeed,  the  general  type  of  the  Chris- 
tianity of  our  times.  It  will  be  found  in  David  Upde- 
graff's  history  that  a  man  can  have  the  average  experi- 
ence of  converted  men,  and  yet  be  a  cipher  (compara- 
tively, at  least)  in  God's  work,  without  the  blessing  of 
entire  sanctification ;  though  evidently  meant  and  called 
of  God  to  do  a  great  Providential  work. 

It  is  safe  to  believe  that  few  Christians  find  their  true 
calling  until  they  have  found  this  great  blessing,  and  that 
many  live  misspent  lives  for  lack  of  it. 

It  is  to  be  remembered,  too,  that  the  type  of  the  Chris- 
tian work  to  which  this  man  of  God  devoted  himself  was 
entirely  above  and  beyond  that  which  engages  the  zeal  of 
many  of  our  most  active  Christians.  No  doubt  much  that 
is  built  on  Christ  these  days,  is  of  the  nature  of  "  wood, 
and  hay,  and  stubble" — not  wrong  or  useless  things,  but 
things  which  will,  nevertheless,  not  stand  fire,  and  are 
not  calculated  for  eternal  endurance.  But  he  gave  him- 
self and  all  his  ransomed  powers  to  the  ' '  gold  and  silver 
and  precious  stones. ' '  He  was  not  diverted  to  the  ma- 
terial, civil  or  physical  aspects  of  Christian  work.  The 
work  of  actual  salvation,  and  of  spiritual  upbuilding  mo- 
nopolized his  head  and  heart  and  hand. 
.,  What  is  to  be  distinctly  noted  is,  that  in  seeking  thi^' 


2fi  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

blessing,  it  was  not  the  objective,  but  the  subjective, 
which  engaged  his  attention.  That  is,  he  sought  not 
with  reference  to  public  work  or  enduement  for  service, 
but  with  reference,  solely,  to  personal  experience  and 
state  of  heart.  This  is  of  great  interest,  since  it  furnishes 
us  an  instance  of  sanctification  sought  for  its  own  sake. 
Holiness  wanted  because  God  is  holy,  and  not  because 
holiness*  would  make  him  great  or  wise  or  mighty. 

Much  that  is  emphasized  by  many  as  the  sole  or  main 
feature  of  the  promised  baptism  with  the  Holy  Ghost,  is 
at  best  meant  to  be  only  secondary;  often  it  is  only  inci- 
dental. But  David  Updegraff  was  under  conviction  for 
the  thing  itself,  and  for  the  very  heart  of  it,  at  that. 
Cloven  tongues  as  of  fire,  rushing  mighty  winds,  etc., 
were  of  no  account  to  him,  save  only  as  he  came  the  bet- 
ter to  interpret  and  apply  their  symbolic  meaning.  Gifts 
of  tongues,  or  knowledge,  or  healing,  or  miracle  work- 
ing, were  not  what  he  followed  after,  but  that  Charity 
which  embraces  all  the  graces  and  completes  the  sym- 
metry of  Christian  character  and  experience.  Men  now, 
as  in  Paul's  time,  make  the  mistake  of  preferring  gifts  to 
grace.  They  seek  the  showy  before  the  saving.  They 
imagine  that  God  is  more  concerned  in  what  they  are  to 
do  for  Him  than  what  they  are  to  be.  Sanctification  deals 
first  with  being,  rather  than  doing. 

We  hear  now  his  own  testimony. 

'  *  I  determined  to  have  a  meeting  where  the  Lord  should 
have  right  of  way,  and  the  practical  work  of  soul  saving 
be  done.  Accordingly,  my  house  was  opened  to  all  who 
would  come  to  evening  meetings,  during  our  yearly  meet- 
ing week  in  1869.  Our  parlors  were  filled  with  earnest 
people,  and  without  were  those  who  were  watching  and 
waiting  to  see  whereunto  this  would  grow.     The  Script- 


HIS  ENTIRE  SANCTIFICATION.  27 

ures  were  read,  prayers  offered,  hymns  were  sung,  testi- 
monies were  given  and  souls  were  blessed.  But  it  was 
all  unusual  and  quite  irregular  in  those  days.  We  had 
live  meetings,  and  living  things  are  always  irregular, 
while  dead  things  never  are.  I  began  to  learn  what  real 
loyalty  to  God  was  to  cost,  and  that  if  really  led  by  the 
Spirit  of  God,  according  to  His  word,  reproaches  and  other 
like  blessings  that  Jesus  had  promised,  would  become  a 
reality. 

"In  conducting  a  few  of  these  meetings,  I  learned  a 
great  deal  of  myself.  I  was  somewhat  troubled  by  the 
people  and  the  circumstances  around  me,  but  I  discovered 
one  '  old  man  '  who  gave  me  more  trouble  than  all  the 
others,  and  he  was  within  me.  '  His  deeds  '  had  been 
put  off,  and  truly  there  was  *  no  condemnation,'  but 
whenever  I  '  would  do  good, '  he  was  present  with  rtle. 
His  omnipresence  was  something  wonderful  to  my  open- 
ing eyes.  And  he  was  there,  to  *  war  against  the  law  of 
sin.'  If  he  succeeded,  even  partially,  I  was  humbled 
and  grieved,  and  if  he  did  not  succeed,  I  was  in  distress 
with  fear  lest  he  might.  Some  special  incidents  were 
greatly  blessed  to  me.  I  began  to  see  quite  clearly,  that 
the  'law  was  weak  through  the  flesh.'  I  hated  pride, 
ambition,  evil  tempers  and  vain  thoughts,  but  I  //^^/them 
and  they  were  a  part  of  me.  They  were  not  acts  to  be 
repented  of  and  forgiven  at  all,  but  dispositions  lying  be- 
hind the  acts  and  prompting  thereto,  natural  to  the  'old 
man '  and  inseparable  from  his  presence  in  my  being. 

"I  began  to  cry  to  God  to  '  cast  him  out.'  As  I  did 
this,  there  came  a  great  '  hunger  and  thirst  after  righte- 
ousness,' that  I  might  be  '  filled  with  all  the  fullness  of 
God.'  My  new  nature  speedily  developed  wonderful  apt- 
itude for  'holiness.'     I  longed  for  a  'clean  heart  and  a 


28  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

right  spirit,'  and  this  yearning  increased  until  one  mem- 
orable evening,  after  the  close  of  the  series  of  meetings 
referred  to,  when  a  few  of  us  met  at  my  sister's  for  prayer 
and  conference.  Up  to  this  time  I  had  never  heard  a 
straight  sermon  on  holiness,  nor  read  a  treatise  upon  it, 
nor  seen  any  one  who  claimed  the  experience  for  himself. 
It  had  never  occurred  to  me  that  I  had  not  received  the 
Holy  Ghost  since  I  believed.  Knowing  as  much  of  the 
work  of  the  blessed  Spirit  upon  my  heart  as  I  undoubtedly 
had,  I  supposed,  as  a  matter  of  course,  that  I  had  been 
*  baptized  with  the  Holy  Ghost  and  with  fire.'  His  crea- 
tive work  in  regeneration,  and  His  destructive  work  in 
sanctification,  are  distinctions  of  great  importance,  but 
not  clearly  seen  by  me  at  that  time.  And  I  might  have 
answered  much  as  the  Ephesians  answered  Paul  in  Acts 
19*  2,  had  I  been  asked  the  same  question.  I  had  not 
even  heard  of  such  an  experience.-  But  there  was  present 
with  us  a  brother  who  had  heard  that  grand  and  daunt- 
less herald  of  the  cross,  John  S.  Inskip,  and  his  noble 
band  of  compeers  at  Round  Lake.  And  he  earnestly  told 
us  of  their  wonderful  meetings,  and  preaching  of  conse- 
cration and  holiness.  It  was  only  a  spark  of  God's  fire 
that  was  needed  to  kindle  into  a  flame  the  sacrifice  that 
was  placed  upon  His  altar.  As  I  went  upon  my  knees, 
it  was  with  the  resolute  purpose  of  '  presenting  my  body 
a  living  sacrifice  to  God,'  and  of  proving  His  word  that 
the  '  altar  sanctifieth  the  gift.'  But  I  speedily  found  m}'- 
self  in  the  midst  of  a  severe  conflict.  There  passed 
quickly  and  clearl}'  before  me  every  obstacle  to  entire 
consecration,  and  'a  life  hid  with  Christ  in  God.'  How 
the  *  old  man  '  plead  for  his  life  !  The  misapprehensions, 
suspicions,  sneers  and  revilings  of  carnal  professors  were 
all  pictured  before  me,  and  they  were  not  exaggerations, 


HIS  ENTIRE  SANCTIFICATION.  29 

either  Selfishness,  pride  and  prejudice  all  rose  in  rebel- 
lion, and  did  their  utmost.  But  I  could  not,  would  not 
draw  back.  Every  '  vile  affection  '  was  resolutely  nailed 
to  the  cross.  Denominational  standing,  family,  business, 
reputation,  friends,  time,  talent  and  earthly  store,  were 
quickly  and  irrevocably  committed  to  the  sovereign  con- 
trol and  disposal  of  my  Almighty  Savior.  It  came  to  be 
easy  to  trust  Him,  and  I  had  no  sooner  reckoned  myself 
'  dead  indeed  unto  sin  and  alive  unto  God,'  than  the 
'Holy  Ghost  fell  upon  me,'  just  as  I  supposed  He  did 
'  at  the  beginning. ' 

**  Instantly  I  felt  the  melting  and  refining  fire  of  God 
permeate  my  whole  being.  Conflict  w^as  a  thing  of  the 
past.  I  had  entered  into  'rest.'  I  was  nothing  and  no- 
body, and  was  glad  that  it  was  settled  that  way.  It  was 
a  luxury  to  get  rid  of  ambitions.  The  glory  of  the  Lord 
shone  round  about  me,  and  for  a  little  season,  I  was  '  lost 
in  w^onder,  love  and  praise, '  I  was  deeply  conscious  of 
the  presence  of  God  within  me,  and  of  His  sanctifying 
work.  Nothing  seemed  so  sweet  as  His  will,  His  law 
written  in  the  heart  after  the  chaff  had  been  burned  out. 
It  was  no  effort  to  realize  that  I  loved  the  Lord  with  all 
my  heart,  and  mind  and  strength,  and  my  neighbor  as 
myself.  My  calmness  and  absolute  repose  in  God  was  a 
wonder  to  me.  But  I  cannot  describe  it  all.  It  was  a 
'weight  of  glory.' 

*  O  matchless  bUss  of  perfect  love, 
It  lifts  me  up  to  things  above.'  " 

We  shall  here  take  the  liberty  of  analyzing  this  exper- 
ience for  the  benefit  of  our  readers. 

We  notice,  first,  the  circumstances  under  which  he  felt 
this  deep  con\dction.  'Twas  "In  conducting  a  few  of 
these  meetings. ' '     These  were  meetings,  let  it  be  remem- 


'30  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

bered,  improvised  by  himself  and  designed  to  "let  the 
Lord  have  right  of  way  that  the  practitical  work  of  soul- 
saving  should  be  done."  They  were  held  at  his  own 
house,  and  w^e  infer  from  some  of  the  foregoing  remarks, 
at  the  cost  of  some  disapproval  from  those  who  esteemed 
ever^'thing  that  was  alive  to  be  irregular  and  unallowable. 
He  evidently,  then,  was  neither  unconverted  nor  back- 
slidden. The  fire  of  Christian  love  was  burning  in  his 
bones  and  making  its  own  vent. 

He  is  eyiabled  to  locate  his  trojib/e.  What  a  mercy  it  is 
when  one  is  enabled  to  do  this.  I  learned  a  great  deal  of 
myself.  I  was  somewhat  troubled  by  the  people  and  cir- 
cumstances round  me,  but  I  discovered  an  'old  man'  who 
gave  me  more  trouble  than  all  the  others,  and  he  was 
within  me. ' '  This  is  conviction  of  inbred  sin.  And 
how  clearly  defined  the  type  of  his  conviction  was.  He 
adds,  "His  deeds  had  been  put  off,  and  truly  there  was 
no  condemnation,  but  whenever  I  would  do  good  he  was 
present  with  me;  His  omnipresence  was  something  won- 
derful to  my  opening  eyes. ' ' 

Prayer  for  purity  follows.  "I  began  to  cry  to  God  to 
cast  him  out."  The  Jew's  departing  wail  was,  "O 
wretched  man  that  I  am,  who  shall  deli\'er  me  from  this 
body  of  death  ? ' '  But  one  moved  ])y  Christian  faith  has 
more  hope  and  cries  out  in  strong  desire: 

"Break  off  the  yoke  of  inbred  sin 
And  fully  set  my  spirit  free; 
I  cannot  rest  till  pure  within, 
Till  I  am  wholly  lost  in  thee," 

No  accurate  defiyiition  of  his  case.  "It  had  never  oc- 
curred to  me  that  I  had  not  received  the  Holy  Ghost 
since  I  believed.  His  creative  work  in  regeneration,  and 
His  destructive  work  in  sanctifi cation  are  distinctions  of 


HIS  ENTIRE  SANCTIEICATION.  31 

great  importance,  but  not  clearly  seen  by  me  at  that  time. ' ' 
We  should  remember  this  in  dealing  with  other  soulh^.. 
Distinctions  which  are  very  clear  to  us  now  were  not 
always  so,  and  they  may  not  be  so  to  many  who  are  seek- 
ing this  grace.  Nor  is  this  clear  definition  of  things  in 
their  minds  and  on  their  tongues,  to  be  exacted  as  a  con- 
dition of  their  receiving  the  grace.  Doubtless  it  may 
greatly  aid  them;  but  no  doubt,  too,  that  many  cross  over 
into  the  land  before  they  have  mastered  its  geograplu'. 

Provideyitial  help  supplied.  The  same  sovereign  love 
that  sent  Philip  to  minister  light  to  the  inquiring  eunuch, 
will  never  let  any  seeking  soul  perish  for  lack  of  help. 
An  Ananias  must  go  to  Saul  of  Tarsus,  "for  behold  he 
prayeth."  Cornelius  shall  learn  from  Peter  what  he 
shall  do,  for  his  prayers  and  his  alms  have  come  up  as  a 
memorial  before  God.  So  this  earnest  man,  whose  heart 
has  been  uncovered  by  the  search  light  of  the  Spirit  and 
who  is  now  crying  to  be  "washed  and  made  whiter  than 
snow,"  is  not  forsaken,  "There  was  present  with  us  a 
brother  who  had  heard  that  grand  and  dauntless  herald  of 
the  cross,  John  S.  Inskip.  He  earnesth^  told  us  of  their 
wonderful  meetings  and  preaching  of  consecration  and 
holiness.  It  was  only  a  spark  of  God's  fire  that  was 
needed  to  kindle  into  a  flame  the  sacrifice  that  was  placed 
upon  His  altar."  We  pause  to  remark  that  there  is  a 
certain  incompleteness  and  measure  of  imperfection  in  all 
human  helps  on  matters  of  salvation  and  spiritual  life. 
We  have  sometimes  wished  that  this  were  not  so,  and  that 
we  ourselves  might  be  able  to  perfectly  present  the  truth 
and  adapt  it  to  needy  souls.  But  we  feel  otherwise  now. 
We  believe  that  God  means  to  employ  men  as  a  scaffold- 
ing only  in  building  up  the  temple  of  Holiness  in  other 
men's  hearts.     He  is  jealous  of  His  own  glory  as  their 


32  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.   UPDEGRAFF, 

personal  Savior;  and  jealous,  too,  of  their  faith,  that  it 
should  stand  in  the  power  of  God  alone  and  not  at  all  in 
the  wisdom  of  man;  that  "Christ  may  be  all  and  in  all." 
We  have  heard  Bro.  Updegraff  speak  of  this  man,  that  he 
was  neither  a  preacher  nor  yet  quite  a  witness  of  this 
great  salvation,  but  only  a  carrier  of  the  news  of  wdiat 
others  were  doing  and  saying  and  believing  and  receiving. 
An  imperfect  help  in  himvSelf ,  but  a  sufficient  help  to  give 
directness  and  intensity  to  David's  prayer. 

''I  weyit  upon  my  k7iees.^*  Remember,  beloved,  he  had 
never  heard  a  sermon  on  Holiness  in  his  life,  and  yet, 
with  the  conviction  of  his  own  heart,  and  the  message  of 
a  passing  friend,  he  hurries  to  the  Lord  to  complete  "thie 
great  transaction."  He  adds:  "It  w^as  w4th  the  resolute 
purpose  of  presenting  my  body  a  Hving  sacrifice  to  God, 
and  of  proving  His  word,  that  the  altar  sanctifieth  the 
gift." 

Now  it  is  evident  that  the  mental  assent  and  consent  to 
these  things  which  some  persons  think  is  Consecration, 
and  which  they  say  they  "do  over  and  over  again,"  is 
quite  a  shallow  thing  compared  with  what  Da\dd  UpdegratI 
passed  through  on  this  eventful  night.  Hear  again  what 
he  says  about  it:  ''I speedily  foiind  viyself  in  the  midst  of 
a  severe  conflict.  There  passed  quickly  and  clearly  before 
me  every  obstacle  to  entire  consecration.  How  the  'old 
man'  plead  for  his  life.  The  misapprehension,  suspicion, 
sneers  and  revilings  of  carnal  professors  were  all  pictured 
before  me.  Selfishness,  pride  and  prejudice  all  rose  in 
rebellion  and  did  their  utmost.  But  I  could  not,  w^ould 
not  draw  back.  Every  'vile  affection'  was  resolutely 
nailed  to  the  cross.  Denominational  standing,  family, 
business,  reputation,  friends,  time,  talents  and  earthly 
store  were  quickly  and  irrevocably  committed  to  the  sov- 


HIS  ENTIRE  SANCTIFICATION.  33 

ereign  control  of  my  Almighty  Savior. ' '  This  ends  his 
consecration,  which  is  the  human  side  of  sanctification ; 
but  only  the  human  side.  We  reason  that  none  but 
Christians  are  capable  of  it.  We  conclude,  both  from  the 
language  of  Scripture  and  from  the  testimony  of  those 
who  have  presented  their  bodies  in  entreaty  thus,  that  it 
means  "sacrifice" — a  sacrifice  that  is  felt  at  the  time  and 
tested  in  time  to  come.  This  sacrifice  is  felt  in  propor- 
tion to  the  ardor  of  the  self  life  before  the  surrender  is 
made,  and  in  proportion  to  the  ardor  of  the  spiritual  life 
after  it  is  made.  Paul  ''cotmted  all  things  loss"  and  then 
went  on  to  suffer  the  loss  of  all  things.  Yet  he  esteemed 
them  as  refuse  in  comparison  with  the  prize  which  he 
sought.  Consecration  thus  furnishes  no  ground  for  self- 
complacency.  It  "is  our  reasonable  service."  Obedience 
to  the  command  and  spirit  of  consecration,  however, 
brings  the  soul  to  a  place  where  difficulties  in  the  way  of 
sa7ictifying  faith  are  removed.  He  says:  "It  came  to  be 
easy  to  trust  Him  and  I  had  no  sooner  reckoned  myself 
"dead  indeed  unto  sin  and  alive  unto  God,"  than  the 
Holy  Ghost  fell  upon  me." 

And  now  he  describes  the  experience  which  followed: 
"Instantly  I  felt  the  melting  and  refining  fire  of  God  per- 
meate my  whole  being.  Conflict  was  a  thing  of  the  past. 
I  had  entered  into  rest.  I  was  nothing  and  nobody,  and 
glad  it  was  settled  that  way."  For  a  little  season  I  was 
'lost  in  wonder,  love  and  praise.'  " 

"  Nothing  seemed  so  sweet  as  His  law."  "  It  was  no 
effort  to  realize  that  I  loved  the  Lord  with  all  my  heart 
and  mind  and  strength,  and  my  neighbor  as  myself." 
We  note  a  few  points  of  this  experience.  It  was  instan- 
taneous: "instantly"  is  the  word  he  uses.  It  inaugu- 
rated an  end  of  the  struggles  of  the  wilderness;  "  Conflict 


34  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

was  a  thing  of  the  past."  It  was  subject  of  conscious- 
ness, both  as  to  the  presence  of  God  and  as  to  the  work 
in  himself.  It  was  not  only  an  emotion,  but  an  experi- 
ence of  righteous7iess ;  "  nothing  so  sweet  as  His  law." 
After  all  this,  it  was  still  hides  crib  able.  "  It  was  a  weight 
of  glory. ' ' 

He  at  once  felt  the  obligation  of  testimony.  As  it  is 
written,  "Ye  shall  receive  power  after  that  the  Holy 
Ghost  is  come  upon  you,  and  ye  shall  be  witnesses  unto 
me."  Those  who  advocate  the  retention  of  such  an  expe- 
rience in  silence  only,  and  the  withholding-  of  personal 
testimony  to  it,  are  either  ignorant  or  forgetful  of  under- 
lying principles  and  laws  of  grace  in  general,  and  of  this 
grace  in  particular.  For  * '  with  the  heart  man  believeth 
unto  righteousness  and  with  the  mouth  co7ifession  is  made 
imto  salvation''  The  confession  of  the  mouth  is  as  nec- 
essary in  its  order  as  the  faith  of  the  heart.  Moreover, 
one  must  violate  laws  of  nature  as  well  as  laws  of  grace, 
thus  to  check  or  choke  the  outpouring  of  his  soul's  grati- 
tude and  joy;  for  "  for  out  of  the  abundance  of  the  heart 
the  mouth  speaketh." 

David  Updegraff's  feeling  was  that  of  an  inability  to 
conceal  it.  He  could  not  but  speak  the  things  which  he 
had  seen  and  heard  revealed  and  spoken  to  his  soul.  He 
says :  * '  When  I  rose  from  my  knees  I  was  constrained  to 
speak  of  what  God  had  wrought,  the  best  I  knew  how. 
The  people  looked  so  different.  I  had  new  eyes.  I  felt 
.so  different  that  I  examined  myself  to  see  if  I  was  the 
same  person.  When  the  next  day  I  rode  out  upon  my 
farm,  I  felt  that  every  acre  belonged  to  God,  and  that 
I  was  only  a  tenant  at  will.  The  hills  and  fields  and 
flocks  and  trees  were  all  more  beautiful  as  they  clapped 
their  hands  in  praise  to  God." 


HIS  ENTIRE  SANCTIFICATION.  35 

The  reader  is  now  asking,  perhaps,  "Did  it  last?'' 
Man}^,  indeed,  who  do  not  doubt  God's  abiUty  and  will- 
ingness to  sanctify,  nevertheless,  hesitate  to  be  sanctified, 
lest  they  might  not  be  able  to  "  keep  it "  and  "  hold  out." 
They  think  they  could  trust  God's  present  power,  but  fear 
to  venture  out  upon  His  preservijig  grace.  For,  to  be 
"  sanctified  wholly  "  is  one  thing,  and  to  be  "  preserved 
blameless  "  is  another.  The  one  is  conditioned  upon  an 
act  of  faith,  the  other  upon  a  habit  of  faith.  The  one  is 
the  direct  and  immediate  work  of  the  Spirit's  baptism, 
the  other  is  the  continued  faithfulness  of  the  Indwelling. 
Comforter.  None  can  live  upon  a  past  experience,  not 
even  an  experience  so  bright  and  clear  as  this  of  David 
Updegraff's.  He  never  depended  upon  that  blessing  for 
his  present  salvation.  It  is  no  more  lawful  to  idolize  an 
experience  than  to  worship  a  god  of  stone.  Christian  life 
is  not  sustained  either  by  recollection  or  by  anticipation, 
but  by  faith  :  **  The  just  shall  live  by  faith." 

He  says  upon  this  point :  ' '  The  special  experience  just 
related  is  now  twenty-three  years  in  the  past,  and  might 
be  a  dead  and  forgotten  thing,  but  moment  by  momeyit  the 
blood  has  clea7ised,  and  the  Spirit  has  indwelt,  i7i  answer 
to  a  perpetuated  faith  and  obedience  to  God''  "  During 
all  these  years  the  mode  of  my  life,  which  was  inaugu- 
rated in  that  hour,  when  I  received  the  baptism  with  the 
Holy  Ghost,  has  been  totally  different  from  that  which 
preceded  it.  It  began  a  new  era  in  my  Christian  life.  I 
have  had  abundant  time  and  occasion  to  scrutize  the  real- 
ity and  nature  of  the  work  wrought  then  and  perpetuated 
ever  since.  I  have  often  had  such  a  sense  of  my  own 
unworthiness  and  human  imperfections  as  to  be  well- 
nigh  overwhelmed.  But  then  I  had  settled  it  that  Jesus 
was  my  worthiness,  and  as  to  human  or  legal  perfection. 


36  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

the  Psalmist  had  seen  the  end  of  that  long  ago.  In  and 
of  myself,  I  am  neither  holier  nor  stronger  than  before. 
What  I  am,  I  am  by  the  grace  of  God.  What  I  do,  I  do 
through  Christ  strengthening  me." 

In  closing  this  chapter,  we  would  remark  that,  if  his- 
tory furnished  no  parallels,  and  if  Scripture  gave  us  no 
precedents  of  such  an  epochal  experience  as  this,  we  might 
be  tempted  to  class  it  with  the  extraordinary  gifts  and 
qualifications  with  which  God  sometimes  endows  those 
whom  He  would  set  apart  as  chosen  vessels  for  some  spe- 
cial work.  That  is,  we  would  list  it  with  the  prophetic 
gifts  of  the  Old  Dispensation,  rather  than  as  the  supreme 
and  universal  grace  of  the  New,  intended  for  all  believers. 
But  the  Spirit  of  God  reveals  the  need  of  such  a  visitation 
in  the  life  and  experience  of  every  truly  converted  person. 
The  promises  of  the  Gospel  offer  it  to  all  such,  while  no- 
where presenting  it  to  others.  More  are  consenting  now 
to  "  tarry  at  Jerusalem,"  in  order  to  obtain  this  promise 
of  the  Father;  and  under  such  leaders  as  David  Upde- 
grafF  came  to  be,  this  great  privilege  of  the  church  is 
being  emphasized  and  restored.  Praise  the  name  of  the 
Lord ! 


CHAPTER  V. 

A    GENUINE   QUAKER. 
"  So  worship  I  the  God  of  my  fathers."— AcTS  24  :  14. 

PKRHAPvS,  before  we  go  farther,  in  studying  the  life 
and  character  of  this  man  of  God,  it  will  be  well  for 
us  to  remind  our  readers  that,  notwithstanding  the  broad 
catholicity  of  his  character  and  ministry,  David  Upde- 
graff  was  preeminently  and  persistently  a  most  loyal  and 
representative  Quaker. 

By  representative,  we  do  not  mean  just  at  this  time  to 
allude  to  the  high  respect  with  which  his  own  meeting 
honored  him  for  so  many  3-ears.  He  was  representative 
in  a  higher  sense  than  office  and  position  always  indicate. 
His  character  and  conduct  and  course  in  public,  social 
and  private  life  were  a  living  exposition  of  what  true 
Quakerism  is.  And  his  fidelity  to  the  church  of  his  fore- 
fathers (and  that  from  choice,  rather  than  from  any  kind 
of  necessity),  may  be  taken  as  evidence  of  the  high  esteem 
in  which  he  held  that  Society. 

The  Friends'  (or  Quaker)  church  would  be  unparal- 
leled in  the  history  of  denominations  if  it  were  without 
deficiency  or  defect  in  its  constitution,  or  without  an}- 
marks  of  degeneration  in  its  condition.  No  man  was 
keener  to  discover  these  defects  nor  to  detect  these  evi- 
dences of  decline,  and  perhaps  no  man's  spirit,  mind  and 


38  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

ministry  could  more  effectually  reprove  these  things  than 
did  his.  Mark:  We  say  the  tone  of  his  spirit,  the  Christ- 
liness  of  his  mind,  and  the  type  of  his  ministry  reproved 
them;  for  we  have  rarely  heard  him  in  public  refer  to 
them.  A  sense  of  loving  loyalty  to  his  own  church,  like 
one  feels  for  his  own  family,  withheld  him  from  publish- 
ing her  faults.  But  he  insisted  that  he  was  none  other 
than  a  genuine  George  Fox  Quaker.  And  when  the 
opinion  was  advanced  that  his  aggressive,  evangelical 
zeal,  his  freedom  of  conscience  accorded  to  every  man, 
with  respect  to  the  ordinances  and  other  things,  his  zeal 
in  preaching  and  promoting  Holiness,  fitted  him  better 
for  the  Methodist  or  some  other  church  he  would  repudi- 
ate it  with  warmth,  and  show,  by  reference  to  the  stand- 
ards of  his  church  that  he  held  no  other  doctrine  upon 
these  tilings  than  that  maintained  and  defended  by  Fox 
and  Penn  and  Barclay  and  others. 

But  his  life  in  these  particulars  was  in  such  bold  con- 
trast with  what  had  marked  many  individual  Friends  and 
many  Societies  then  (and  some  even  yet)  that  it  justly  and 
keenly  reproved  them,  so  that  in  some  quarters  he  was 
an  tinacccptable  Friend,  even  as  his  Master  was  an  unac- 
ceptable Jew.  Some  of  us,  who  had  been  reared  in  prox- 
imity to  a  fossilized  and  somewhat  disintegrated  Quaker- 
ism, would  never  have  known  what  the  real,  living  thing 
was,  had  it  not  been  for  the  life  and  work  of  David  Up- 
degraff .  Wherever  he  has  been  and  has  worked  (together 
with  a  few  other  blessed  men  and  women  of  like  spirit) 
we  find  the  Friends'  church  to  be  different  from  what  it 
is  in  places  that  barred  the  door  upon  this  humble  but 
mighty  servant  of  God.  Different  in  that  their  traditions 
and  usages  do  not  obtain  an  authorit}^  quite  so  proximate 
to  that  which  belongs  to  the  word  of  God,     Different  in 


A  GENUINE  QUAKER.  39 

that  their  primitive  liberty  of  speech  and  conscience  is 
less  hampered  by  ecclesiastical  edicts,  declarations  or  any- 
thing resembling  dogmatic  creeds.  Different  in  that  ex- 
clusiveness  has  given  way  to  evangelism;  and  where  they 
once  seemed  to  be  solicitous  only  for  their  own  protection 
and  preservation,  they  are  now  zealous  and  active  for 
others'  salvation.  Different  in  that  theirabstinence  from 
singing  (which  history  shows  began  as  a  necessary  guard 
against  exposure  of  their  place  of  meeting  when  they 
were  under  persecution)  has  given  way  to  the  singing  of 
Psalms  and  hymns  and  spiritual  songs,  as  the  Bible  en- 
joins. Different,  too,  in  that  their  prejudice  against  an 
"  hireling  ministry  "  and  a  pastoral  oversight  has  so  far 
yielded,  that  men  called  to  this  work  are  in  some  places 
receiving  a  measurable  support  to  aid  them  in  giving 
themselves  wholly  to  it. 

In  fact,  the  contrast  between  Friends  where  David  has 
been,  and  those  which  neither  he  nor  his  influence  has 
yet  reached — and  w^e  mean  only  the  orthodox  Friends — 
is  so  marked  and  so  sharply  drawn,  that  one  not  at  all 
conversant  with  their  history  might  imagine  they  were 
different  sects.  But  the  truth  is,  that  close  and  unbiased 
study  will  show  that  David  Updegraff  was  nothing  but 
a  Quaker  (in  a  denominational  sense)  excepting  only 
that  he  was  a  Quaker  ablaze  with  the  same  fiery  baptism 
with  the  Holy  Ghost  which  characterized  the  Friends  in 
the  days  of  their  persecution,  but  which  is  lacking  in 
many  of  them  in  the  days  of  their  persecuting. 

We  might  remark  that  a  common  conception  of  what 
Quakerism  is,  might  be  stated  thus:  The  Quakers  are  a 
people  of  plain  language  and  attire,  of  prudent  and  long 
lives,  who  believe  in  Jesus  and  the  Atonement,  but  dis- 
card the  sacraments  of  Baptism  and  the  Lord's  Supper, 


40  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.   UPDEGRAFF. 

and  who  regard  the  inner  light  as  their  guide,  recommend 
meditation  and  silence  as  cardinal  means  of  grace,  and 
who  only  speak  or  act  in  public  worship,  as  the  Spirit 
moves  them.  This,  we  say,  is  a  common,  and,  we  sup- 
pose, quite  excusable,  though  not,  it  may  be,  an  accu- 
rate or  complete  description  of  the  Friends.  But  to  aid 
the  readers  to  a  more  accurate  and  quite  just  view  of  the 
people  called  Quakers,  we  shall  take  a  moment  to  glance 
at  the  condition  of  the  Friends'  church  when  David  be- 
gan his  revival  work  within  its  borders,  and  at  a  few  of 
the  historical  steps  leading  up  thereto. 

Two  things  especially  characterize  the  teachings  of 
George  Fox  and  the  early  Friends.  They  were  (1).  The 
immediate  operation  of  the  Holy  Spirit  upon  the  human 
heart  as  an  enlightener,  awakener,  reprover  and,  when 
yielded  to,  a  converter;  and  (2),  the  entire  sanctification 
of  the  believer  through  faith  in  Jesus  Christ.  And  what 
they  taught  as  a  doctrine,  they  also  claimed  as  an  experi- 
ence. George  Fox  did  not  hesitate  to  assert  that  he  was 
sanctified,  because  Christ  his  Savior  had  taken  away  his 
sin;  and  Robert  Barclay,  in  his  apology  for  the  Quakers, 
assures  us  that  Christ's  baptism  with  the  Holy  Ghost  and 
fire  burns  up  the  unrighteous  nature.  A  number  of  expres- 
sions have  descended  from  early  times  as  a  stereotyped 
phraseolog3\  Warnings  against  "  creaturely  activities" 
and  invitations  to  get  into  the  '  *  silence  of  all  flesh  ' '  were 
frequent  in  the  sermons  of  Friends.  These  expressions, 
in  their  origin  no  doubt,  had  reference  to  real  deadness  to 
sin;  but  when  the  experience  of  deadness  to  sin  had  be- 
come a  thing  of  the  past,  the  expression  still  survived, 
the  formality  and  ecclesiasticism  too  often  accompanied 
them.  The  forms  and  the  peculiarities  were  still  cherished 
when  the  life  had  departed.     Hence  the  church  of  the 


A  GENUTNE  QUAKER.  41 

Friends,  dnrin.^"  the  second  centur}^  of  its  existence,  con- 
tained, too^ether  with  nian}^  excelled  and  spiritnally- 
minded  men  and  women  a  large  percentage  also,  of  formal 
professors — many  of  them  zealous  for  the  traditions  of 
their  denomination,  but  with  very  little  spiritual  life  or 
discernment. 

This  condition  of  things  made  it  easy  for  the  enemy  of 
all  good  to  sow  the  tares  of  heresy  amongst  the  good  seed 
of  the  Kingdom.  In  1827  and  1828,  a  large  secession,  led 
by  Elias  Hicks,  swept  away  from  the  ranks  of  the  church 
quite  one-third  of  its  membership.  Hicksism  denied  the 
Atonement,  exalted  the  inner  light  to  such  an  extent  as 
to  greatly  undervalue  the  authority  and  inspiration  of  the 
Holy  vScriptures,  and  in  numerous  other  particulars  was  at 
variance  with  sound  and  orthodox  Quakerism  The  dif- 
ference was  vital,  and  separation  was  the  onl}'  remed3\ 

After  this  defection,  orthodox  Friends  were  more  dili- 
gent than  the  church  as  a  whole  had  previously  been  in 
the  perusal  of  the  Scriptures.  Many  came  to  see  clearly 
the  way  of  salvation,  and  to  proclaim  it.  But  for  thirty 
years  after  the  Hicksite  separation,  there  was  no  marked 
evangelistic  effort  made  by  the  church,  either  for  gather- 
ing in  the  unsaved  at  home,  or  for  spreading  the  Gospel 
in  foreign  and  heathen  lands.  Much  formality  and  tra- 
ditionalism still  existed  among  Friends,  and  these  took 
active  form  in  numerous  separations  during  this  period, 
and  the  setting  up  of  numerous  organizations  known  tech- 
nically as  '  *  smaller  bodies  ' '  of  Friends.  The  first  oc- 
curred in  New  England  Yearly  Meeting,  and  was  called, 
after  its  leader,  the  Wilburite  Separation.  A  much  larger 
secession  occurred  in  Ohio  Yearly  Meeting.  Smaller 
bodies  were  organized  also  in  Iowa,  Kansas,  Indiana,  New 
York  and  Canada.     The  grounds  upon  which  these  se- 


42  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.   UPDEGRAFF. 

cessions  occurred  need  not  be  entered  into  here.  Suffice 
it  that  the  "  smaller  bodies  "  were  composed  of  conserv- 
ative Friends,  who  held  fast  to  the  traditions  of  the  elders 
and  regarded  everything  new  as  an  innovation.  Hence 
they  were  opposed  to  singing  and  reading  the  Bible  in 
meetings  for  worship,  and  stood  quite  aloof  from  all 
revival  and  missionary  work,  as  savoring  too  much  of 
"  creaturely  activity." 

It  was  not  far  from  the  middle  of  the  present  centur>' 
when  God  began  graciously  to  pour  out  His  Spirit  upon 
the  true  evangelical  Friends'  church.  It  was  somewhere 
in  the  fifties  that  John  Henry  Douglas,  a  young  man  not 
yet  out  of  his  teens,  who  had  started  from  his  father's 
house  as  a  prodigal,  was  overtaken  by  a  terrible  storm  at 
sea,  and  soundly  converted  on  the  deck  of  the  ship;  and 
at  the  first  opportunity  to  land,  left  the  vessel  and  returned 
home,  when  he  began  at  once  to  preach  the  Gospel,  and 
has  been  at  it  ever  since.  "Serus  iu  coelum  redeat  " — 
which  my  reader  may  translate,  "  Long  may  he  live." 

Through  the  instrumentality  of  this  gifted  leader  alone 
thoUvSands  of  souls  have  been  brought  into  the  Kingdom. 

Between  IStiO  and  1869  a  number  of  special  revivals 
occurred  in  different  localities  in  the  Friends'  church. 
One  of  the  first  was  at  Bangor,  Iowa.  Another  was  at 
Walnut  Ridge,  Indiana,  where  many  souls  were  saved, 
although,  possibly  in  part  because  the  church  did  not 
know  how  to  deal  with  a  genuine  revival,  a  few  of  the 
converts  were  led  a  little  too  far  towards  a  spirit  of  fanat- 
icism; and  still  another  of  remarkable  power  and  extent 
at  Richmond,  Indiana. 

It  will  be  seen  from  this  hast}^  sketch  that  the  church 
was  already,  in  a  considerable  measure,  prepared  for  the 
labors  of  David  B.  Updegraff ,  who  was  baptized  with  the 


A  GENUINE  QUAKER.  43 

Holy  Spirit,  sanctified  wholly,  made  perfect  in  love,  called 
to  the  ministry,  and  entered  upon  it,  all  in  the  year  1869. 
For  the  next  twenty-five  years  he  was  indisputably  the 
most  prominent  and  *  *  conspicuous  figure  in  the  history 
of  American  Quakerism."  His  career  was  a  marv^elous 
one.  His  liberty  in  the  Gospel  was  complete.  His  labors 
were  "more  abundant."  He  had  a  perfect  passion  for 
souls.  No  man  loved  wife  or  children  or  home  more  than 
he,  yet  for  a  quarter  of  a  century  it  may  be  safely  said 
he  spent  more  of  his  time  away  from  home  than  at  home. 
Whether  in  large  assemblies  or  small,  or  in  families  or 
with  individuals,  it  was  ever  his  meat  and  drink  to  be 
winning  souls  to  Christ;  and  in  a  single  year,  soon  after 
his  ministr}'  began,  he  saw  three  thousand  souls  converted. 
Day  and  night,  often  to  the  neglect  of  needed  repose, 
he  was  on  the  alert  for  the  conversion  of  sinners  and  the 
sanctification  of  believers.  He  would  talk  to  a  conductor, 
or  a  brakeman,  or  a  sleeping-car  porter,  about  his  soul. 
He  walked  down  Market  street,  in  Philadelphia,  and  be- 
gan a  conversation  with  a  fish-woman,  and  in  two  or  three 
minutes  both  were  melted  into  tears.  He  would  go  into 
Friends'  homes  and  get  parents  and  children  on  their 
knees,  and  induce  them  to  pray  vocall^^  to  God.  Many 
conversions  of  children  occurred  in  those  earh^  days  of 
his  ministry,  not  only  in  the  West,  but  in  the  East.  He 
claimed  and  practiced  the  right  to  sing  and  to  induce 
others  to  sing  in  meetings  for  worship.  He  read  the  Bible 
habitually  in  public  gatherings.  He  first  introduced  the 
altar  for  prayer  into  Friends'  revival  and  other  meetings, 
and  its  use  was  fraught  with  blessings  to  thousands. 
Under  the  leadings  of  the  Spirit  he  called  on  people  by 
name  and  asked  them  to  testify" or  pray.  He  was  full  of 
the  Spirit,  and  out  of  him  there  flowed  rivers  of  living 


44  MEMOIR  OF  DA  VID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

water.  Hundreds  of  dead,  barren  churches  were  enlivened 
and  refrCvShed  by  this  Hving  water.  I  consider  it  entirely 
safe  to  say  that  he  did  more  to  revive  the  formal  pr(^fes- 
sorsofthe  Friend's  church  than  anyone  individual  hail 
done  since  George  Fox  went  to  heaven,  two  hundred 
years  before  him. 

But  all  this  was  very  irregular,  and  formalitj^  and  ec- 
clesiasticism  are  extremely  hostile  to  all  irregularity.  So 
is  death,  which  is  eminently  regular.  David  was  perform- 
ing "  the  priestly  service  of  a  true  Levite,  who  is  bearing 
the  ark  of  God  some  paces  in  advance  of  the  rank  and  file  of 
the  slow  marching  church,  that  has  much  of  its  inheritance 
on  the  wilderness  side  of  Jordan."  Many  of  his  best 
friends  were  unable  to  keep  up  w4th  him,  and  many  ' '  won- 
dered whereunto  this  would  grow."  By  conservative 
Friends  he  was  more  and  more  regarded  as  a  danger- 
ous innovator.  But  he  was  always  cheerful  and  happy 
and  loving,  and  he  kept  right  on  with  his  work'  among 
the  Friends.  He  did  both  his  own  church  and  man>' 
others  besides  a  service  similar  to  that  which  Paul  did 
when  he  demonstrated  that  "  he  is  not  a  Jew  which  is  one 
outwardly."  For  he  did  much  to  revive  genuine  Quaker- 
ism, so  that  not  only  do  many  true  Friends  know  the 
power  and  grace  wdiich  the  earlier  Quakers  experienced, 
witnessed  and  manifested;  but  many  who  are  not  Friends 
have  gained  a  different  and  much  better  impression  of  that 
venerable  Society  than  they  had  previously  had. 

Here  is  how  it  struck  a  person  not  a  Friend,  but  who 
had  been  brought  up  in  Philadelphia,  and  had  had  occasion 
in  later  years  to  visit  and  for  a  time  mingle  somewhat  with 
Friends  in  Ohio,  where  the  impress  of  David  Updegraff's 
ministry  is  .so  clearly  seen : 

"  One  brought  up  about  Philadelphia  nuist  get  his  gen- 


.7  GEXUINE  QUAKER.  45' 

eral  ideas  of  the  Quakers  remodeled,  in  order  to  rightly 
appreciate  them,  and  to  enable  him  to  identif}^  these  spir- 
itually-minded, Bible-using,  evangelical,  aggressive,  song- 
loving  people  as  belonging  to  the  same  family.  For,  in 
addition  to  the  prudence,  thrift,  good  citizenship,  and 
longevity,  which  our  childhood's  observations  taught  us 
to  venerate  in  these  people,  we  find  that  the  Society  of 
Friends  is,  by  practical  exhibition,  proven  capable  of  vital 
piety,  of  aggressive  evangelism,  of  broad  views  in  matters 
of  expediency,  and  of  self-propagation  by  Christian  rather 
than  natural  generation.  So  I  take  this  occasion  of  apol- 
ogizing to  them,  that  I  ever,  for  a  moment,  did  them  the 
injustice  of  supposing  that  their  religion  consisted  mainly 
in  their  exclusiveness,  or  their  clothes,  or  their  grammar. 
or  their  traditions,  or  their  usages.  This,  I  perceive,  is  a 
fossil  bearing  the  Quaker  label,  which  I  examined  in  my 
3'outh.  And  I  am  rejoiced  to  find  that  vital  orthodoxy, 
that  Christian  holiness,  that  practical  evangelism,  that 
Holy  Ghost  piet\%  may  be  found  in  the  Quakerism  of  to- 
day, as  it  was  in  the  days  of  Fox,  and  that  the  revival  of 
their  original  position  of  tolerance  is  making  way  for  the 
consciences  of  those  among  them  who  believe,  with  the 
rest  of  us,  that  the  ordinances  of  the  church  have  at  least 
a  divinely  designed  objective  end  for  Christians  of  all 
ages  and  of  all  stages." 

We  shall  reserve  fuller  notice  of  his  baptism  and  of  his 
position  on  that  subject  for  a  succeeding  chapter.  We 
wish  to  note  here  an  additional  point  or  two  which  his 
ministry  has  more  clearly  defined. 

First.  That  the  "  inner  light"  of  natural  conscience  is 
not  to  be  confounded  with  the  gracious  illuminations  of 
the  Holy  Spirit. 

Second.     That   the  Holy  Spirit   has   usually  to    wait 


46  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.  UPDECRAFF. 

longer  for  men  than  men  have  to  wait  for  Him.  When 
one  is  ready  to  move,  the  Holy  Ghost  is  readj^  to  lead 
him. 

Third.  While  deadness  to  the  world  is,  of  course,  dead- 
ness  to  its  fashions  and  vanities,  that,  nevertheless,  no 
particular  garb  is  conclusive  evidence  of  spirituality  in 
the  inner  man.  Spiritual  life  is  more  likely  to  find  out- 
ward expression  in  modesty,  quietness,  naturalness,  and 
individual  taste  and  judgment  than  in  any  prescribed  uni- 
form. He  was,  in  every  way,  an  exponent  and  an  ex- 
ample of  true  Friends'  principles,  freed  from  barnacles 
and  fungus  growtlis,  which  have  sometimes  been  mis- 
taken for  the  principles  themselves. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

A   FULL-LENGTH    PORTRAIT   OF   THIS   MINISTER   OF 
RIGHTEOUSNESS. 

IN  entering  more  analytically  upon  the  diversified  min- 
isterial gifts  and  labors  of  this  man  of  God,  we  wish 
to  introduce  the  words  of  J.  Henry  Douglas,  an  eminent 
and  divinely-honored  minister  in  the  Society  of  Friends, 
with  whom  David  worked  extensively  in  the  promotion 
of  revivals  in  that  church  in  the  early  years  of  his  minis- 
try. Here  is  Brother  Douglas'  tribute  to  his  friend  and 
colaborer: 

' '  I  can  say  of  him  as  was  said  of  Fox :  '  He 
was,  indeed,  a  heavenly-minded  man.  Zealous  for 
the  name  of  the  Lord,  and  preferred  the  honor  of  God 
before  all  things.  He  was  valiant  for  the  truth,  bold  in 
asserting  it,  unwearying  in  labors  in  it,  steady  in  his  tes- 
timony to  it,  immovable  as  a  rock.  Deep  he  Avas  in 
divine  knowledge,  clear  in  opening  heavenly  things,  plain 
and  powerful  in  preaching,  fervent  in  prayer.  He  was 
richly  endowed  with  heavenly  wisdom,  quick  in  discern- 
ing, sound  in  judgment,  able  and  ready  in  giving,  dis- 
creet in  keeping  counsel,  a  lover  of  righteousness,  an 
encourager  of  virtue,  justice,  temperance,  meekness,  pur- 
ity, chastity,  modesty,  humility,  charity,  and  self-denial, 
both  in  word  and  in  example.     Graceful  he  was  in  coun- 

(47 


48  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

tenance,  manly  in  personage,  remarkable  in  gesture, 
courteous  in  conversation,  instructive  in  discourse,  free 
from  affectation  in  speech  or  carriage.  A  severe  reprover 
of  hard  and  obstinate  sinners,  especiall}-  of  the  self-right- 
eous. A  mild  and  gentle  admonisher  of  such  as  were 
tender  and  sensible  of  their  failings,  never  resenting  per- 
sonal wrongs,  eavS}^  to  forgive  injuries,  but  zealously  earn- 
est where  the  honor  of  God,  the  prosperity  of  the  truth 
and  the  peace  of  the  church  were  concerned.  Very  ten- 
der, compassionate  and  pitiful,  he  was  to  all  that  were 
under  any  sort  of  affliction,  full  of  a  brother's  love,  full 
of  a  father's  care.'  " 

From  this  description  of  the  man  and  minister  it  will 
be  seen  how  fully  he  obe^^ed  Paul's  injunction  to  Titus : 
"  In  all  things  showing  thyself  a  pattern  of  good  works; 
in  doctrine  showing  uncorruptness,  gravity,  sincerity. 
Sound  speech  that  cannot  be  condemned ;  that  he  that  is 
of  the  contrary  part  maj^  be  avShamed,  having  no  evil 
thing  to  say  of  you."  David  Updegraff  not  only  adver- 
tised, but  he  also  sampled  the  merchandise  of  Christ 
which  he  would  have  all  men  buy  without  mone}'  and 
without  price.  We  can  wTite  or  find  no  better  or  truer 
general  description  of  his  character  and  spirit  than  that 
we  have  just  given  from  the  loving,  faithful  pen  of  John 
Henry  Douglas. 

We  will  now  endeavor  to  present  him  to  our  readers  in 
the  varied  views  of  Preacher,  Pastor,  Evangelist,  Holi- 
ness Standard-Bearer,  Author,  and  Editor.  These  make 
up  a  general  outline  of  his  ministry,  and,  with  a  brief 
statement  of  his  views  upon  subjects  of  general  and  spe- 
cial interest,  will,  we  trust,  give  the  reader  a  fair,  if  not 
a  complete,  idea  of  this  mighty  man  of  God. 

Fannie  Crosby,  the  poetess,  was  at  the  Pentecostal  gath- 


A  FULL-LENGTH  PORTRAIT.  49 

ering  at  Mountain  Lake  Park,  in  1893,  and  there  for  the 
first  time  met  Brother  Updegraff.  She  was  hungry  for 
the  rich  things  of  the  Kingdom,  and  hence  became  drawn 
to  the  sermons  and  exhortations  of  Brother  Updegraff, 
from  which  she  received  much  spiritual  help.  As  an  evi- 
dence of  her  appreciation  of  the  services  of  Brother  Upde- 
graff, she  penned  the  following  lines  before  leaving  the 
Park: 

'  Gatheriug  sheaves  with  a  tireless  hand, 

Gathering  sheaves  at  the  Lord's  commaild, 

Looking  to  Him  for  the  power  divine, 

O,  what  a  glorious  work  is  thine  ! 

Gathering  sheaves  in  the  morn's  bright  ray, 

Bearing  thy  toil  in  the  heat  of  the  day, 

Lifting  full  many  a  broken  vine, 

O.  what  a  labor  of  love  is  thine  ! 

Love  is  thy  watchword  and  still  shall  be, 
Love  on  thy  banner  inscribed  I  see, 
Love  is  the  key-note  of  every  song, 
How,  like  a  river,  it  flows  along ! 
Brother,  the  words  from  thy  lips  that  fall, 
Tenderly  echo  the  Savior's  call. 
Thou  art  inspired  by  His  voice  divine. 
O,  what  a  labor  for  souls  is  thine! 

Yonder  thy  home  and  thy  mansion  fair, 
Yonder  the  crown  thou  shalt  win  and  wear  ; 
Beautiful  stars  in  that  crown  will  shine, 
O,  what  a  meeting  will  soon  be  thine  ! 
Meeting  with  friends  who  have  gone  before, 
Waiting  for  thee  on  the  Eden  shore, 
Meeting  where  trials  and  storms  shall  cease, 
Meeting  with  Jesus,  the  Prince  of  Peace. 

—Fanny  J.  Crosby. 


CHAPTER  VII. 


THE    PREACHER. 


"  They  were  all  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost  and  began  to  speak 
as  the  Spirit  gave  them  utterance." — Acts  2  :  4. 

WE  just  left  hiiii  ou  the  witness  stand;  we  shall  find 
him  now  pleading  as  well  as  witnessing.  Some 
men  seem  to  have  been  born  to  preach,  others  seem  to 
have  been  manufactured  for  that  purpose;  but  David 
Updegraff  was,  by  the  call  and  commission  of  God,  in 
comicciion  with  the  baptism  with  the  Holy  Ghost,  made  an 
able  miiuster  of  the  New  Testament.  Whether  that  godly 
mother  had  in  his  infant  consecration  asked  the  Father 
to  make  of  him  a  herald  of  good  tidings,  we  cannot  tell. 
Whether  "prophecies  had  gone  on  before  him  "  from  that 
remarkable  grandmother,  none  now  can  say.  Or  whether, 
in  his  early,  restless,  ambitious  youth  and  manhood,  he 
had  been  haunted  with  the  echo  of  the  command,  **  Go, 
preach,"  he  has  not  told  us.  Nor  did  his  earliest  relig- 
ious life  bring  out  the  spiritual  gifts  with  which  he  be- 
came so  renowned  and  so  fruitful  in  his  after  ministry  in 
the  power  of  the  Spirit. 

One  thing,  however,  should  be  noted  in  this  connec- 
tion, that  is,  that  even  prior  to  his  entire  sanctification 
he  could  not  be  content  without  exerting  some  efforts 
for  the  salvation  and  spiritual  help  of  others.     Thus  he 


.    .  THE  PREACHER.  51 

was  improvising  social  meetings  for  prayer  in  his  own 
home,  and  attending  them  and  assisting  at  the  homes  of 
others,  before  any  thought  of  preaching  seemed  to  cross 
his  own  mind,  or  the  minds  of  otliers  concerning  him. 
lie  simply  flamed  with  a  passion  for  souls.  And  this 
[Mission,  we  might  remark,  while  it  is  the  needed  temper 
of  every  true  minister's  soul,  is  also  the  pulsation  of 
Christly  love  which  is  meant  to  make  every  true  Chris- 
tian  a  minister. 

However,  the  Sabbath  following  David  Updegraff's 
baptism  with  the  Holy  Ghost  recorded  an  epoch  in  his 
service  for  others  as  marked  as  that  baptism  effected  in 
his  own  personal  salvation.  No  man  has  more  mightily 
and  jealsously  than  he  taught  and  proven  that  the  bap- 
tism with  the  vSpirit  is  meant  to  accomplish  something 
more  radical  than  to  endue  for  service.  And  yet,  para- 
doxical as  it  may  seem,  no  man  exhibited  more  marked 
and  mighty  enduement  as  an  immediate  and  abiding  re- 
sult of  this  baptism  than  he. 

It  was  their  usual  First-day  meeting  for  worship  in 
the  old  Friends'  meeting-house  at  Mount  Pleasant,  Ohio, 
where,  constrained  by  the  love  of  Christ,  he  arose  to  tell 
the  simple  story  of  what  the  Savior  had  done  for  him  a 
night  or  two  before.  A  holy  fire  burned  in  his  heart 
and  shone  from  his  countenance.  A  new  pathos  and 
power  attended  his  utterance.  Persons  then  present  yet 
live  to  tell  us  how  his  simple  words  w^ent  to  their  hearts. 
He  was  preaching  but  knew  it  not.  God  had  made  him 
both  a  witness  and  a  minister.  The  holy  oil  was  upon 
him,  anointing  him  to  preach  the  Gospel. 

That  service  was  the  beginning  of  an  era  in  his  life,  in 
the  history  of  his  church,  in  the  revival  of  holiness  which 
had  already  begun  in  the  country  and  in  the  spiritual 


o2  MEMOIR  OF  DA  VID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

lives  ot  many.  After  some  little  time  the  church  re- 
corded him  a  minister.  This  was  as  it  should  be.  Neither 
the  schools  nor  the  churches  were  meant  to  make  preach- 
ers. God  makes  every  true  minister  of  the  Gospel,  and 
the  church  is  simply  trusted  with  the  honor  and  respon- 
sibility of  taking  cognizance  of  those  ministers  who  bear 
the  marks  of  God's  calls  and  gifts,  and  of  helping  to  open 
fields  to  them  and  supply  them  credentials.  David's  min- 
istry began  and  continued  before  he  was  recorded,  and  it 
would  have  continued  if  he  had  never  been  recorded;  for 
a  man  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost  cannot  keep  still  if  he 
has  a  commission  to  tell  the  story.  Nevertheless,  the 
church's  authority  is  of  divine  appointment,  and  is  of 
great  value  and  importance.  And  that  church  which, 
from  inattentiveness  to  the  spiritual  gifts  of  others,  neg- 
lects to  credential  them,  or,  from  prejudice  and  bigotry, 
forbids  them  to  preach,  may  be  found  at  the  last  guilty, 
as  a  wicked  and  slothful  servant  who  hid  his  Lord's 
mone}'. 

Several  characteristics  marked  Brother  Updegraff's 
preaching  which  we  bring  out  for  two  reasons.  (1)  They 
account  for  the  power  and  success  of  his  ministry. 
(2)  They  are  points  worthy  of  the  emulation  of  all 
ministers. 

First.  He  zcas  an  expository  preacher.  Like  Ezra,  he 
read  the  word  and  gave  the  sense.  Like  Apollos,  "he 
was  might}'  in  the  Scriptures."  Like  Timothy,  he 
"knew,  these  Scriptures,"  and  "preached  the  word." 
Unlike  many  other  preachers,  he  did  not  make  the  text 
simply  a  peg  upon  which  to  hang  his  own  wares.  His 
sermon  always  followed  as  lawfully  from  the  exegesis  as 
the  flower  follows  the  bud,  or  the  fruit  the  flower.  And 
his  exegesis  was  always  a  faithful  opening  of  the  text  of 


THE  PREACHER. 


53 


Scripture,  unwarped  by  Theological  bias  and  unmuti- 
lated  by  critical  scissors.  His  early  religious  education 
had  familiarized  him  with  much  of  the  letter  and  some 
of  the  spirit  of  the  Old  Testament.  His  later  experi- 
ence in  salvation  had  brought  him  into  the  heart  and 
marrow  of  the  New.  While  intensely  spiritual  in  his 
exposition  of  Scripture,  he  was  remarkably  free  from  a 
certain  figurativeness  of  interpretation  which,  with  some 
men,  passes  for  spiritual  teaching,  but  is  often  nothing 
more  than  the  supporting  of  views  and  creeds  by  a  too 
free  use  of  the  imagination.  Upon  the  other  hand, 
Brother  Updegraff  was  quick  to  discern  and  able  to  ex- 
plain the  symbols  of  the  Scriptures.  Some  in  swinging 
away  from  the  error  just  noted,  have  ignored  and  over- 
looked God's  inspired  symbols,  with  which  the  Old  Testa- 
ment abounds;  and  the  New  Testament  is  not  without 
instances.  But  others,  in  their  interpretation  of  symbols, 
liave  manifestly  gone  too  far,  straining  mere  analogies 
into  ser\nce,  as  though  they  were  inspired  signs  and 
symbols.  Brother  Updegraff  shunned  both  extremes, 
and  taught  from  God's  object  lessons  without  obtruding 
pictures  of  his  own  into  a  like  place  in  the  gallery. 

Second.  He  was  a  loving  preacher.  We  believe  the 
place  of  the  heart  is  prior  to  that  of  the  head  in  the  min- 
istry, and  so  we  mention  this  next.  One  could  soon  see 
and  feel  that  he  was  moved  by  love  as  he  began  to  preach, 
and  that  the  more  he  preached  the  more  his  love  burned, 
and  the  more  he  loved,  the  better  and  more  apostolic  his 
preaching  sounded  to  the  ear  and  felt  to  the  heart,  until, 
ofttimes,  tears  would  stream  down  his  cheeks,  and  his 
voice  would  tremble  with  sympathetic  emotion,  and  his 
very  sovil  pour  itself  out  in  streams  of  living,  loving 
truth,  on  tides  of  heart-yearning  desire  for  the  salvation 


54  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.   UPDEGRAFF. 

and  sanctification  of  those  whom  he  addressed.  It  iiiat- 
lered  not  on  what  theme,  nor  to  what  persons  he  preached, 
.all  felt  that  he  had  a  personal  interest  in  them,  and  every- 
one saw  thi>t  he  spoke  the  truth  in  the  love  of  it. 

This  burning,  passionate  love  was  sometimes  shown  in 
a  manful  protection  of  the  Lord's  flock  by  the  exposure 
of  danger  and  refutation  of  error,  but  more  frequently  in 
tears  and  tones  of  sympathy  and  helpfulness.  With  his 
staff  he  fought  off  the  wolves,  and  with  his  crook  he 
rescued  the  weak  from  peril. 

Third.  He  was  an  iJitelligent preacher .  We  purposely 
sa}^  "  intelligent "  rather  than  either  intellectual  or  schol- 
arly. There  is  ground  to  fear  that  the  ministry  of  our 
times  has  a  drift  towards  Intellectualism,  which  puffs  the 
preacher  and  starves  the  people.  Scholarship,  is,  with 
nian}^  making  an  impassable  gulf  between  the  pulpit  and 
the  pew.  David  Updegraff's  mental  furnishings  were  am- 
ple for  all  his  providential  and  gracious  work.  A  mind 
of  unusual  compass,  strength  and  vigor  ;  more  than  aver- 
age educational  advantages  in  his  j^outh  ;  baptized  with 
the  Spirit,  ''  of  a  soioid  miyid,''  he  gave  himself  to  most 
diligent  inquiry,  investigation  and  study.  His  knowl- 
edge was  pre-eminently  Biblical,  and  practical.  Having 
been  a  man  of  affairs,  he  had  developed  some  judgment 
in  business  matters  and  accurate  acquaintance  with  hu- 
man nature.  His  literary  studies  were  always  critical  as 
to  matter  more  than  as  to  manner.  His  language  was 
free  and  forcible,  clear  and  comprehensive,  and  yet  never 
indicated  that  llis  chief  attention  was  at  all  placed  on  how 
he  said  things,  but  on  things  ihcyyiselves,  and  that  he  said 
theni.  He  spurned  much  knowledge  of  many  things, 
accounting  that  some  of  it  was  injurious,  and  more  of  it 
was  useless  to  the  main  purpose  he  had  in  mind,  of  know- 


THE  PREACHER.  55 

ing  Christ  and  of  making  others  to  know  Him  and  His 
power  to  save. 

Fourth.  He  was  mi  extemporaneous  preacher.  A  thor- 
ough digest  of  the  Scripture  in  hand,  and  an  easy  brief 
of  its  logical  arrangement,  with,  perhaps,  a  little  fore- 
thought on  helpful  illustrations,  for  a  few  of  the  more 
intricate  points,  constituted  his  ordinary  sermonic  prepa- 
ration. In  some  instances  he  would  refresh  his  memory 
just  before  preaching  from  a  meagre  memorandum  indi- 
cating these  leading  points  and  illustrations.  His  pulpit 
inspiration  was  threefold.  He  was  always  filled  and 
warmed  with  his  theme.  He  was  always  under  the  touch 
and  energy  of  the  Spirit.  He  always  caught  fresh  flame 
from  the  prayers  and  shouts  and  faces  of  the  people. 

Besides  these  four  points,  Scripturalness,  Heartiness, 
Intelligence  and  Readiness,  which  characterized  his 
preaching,  we  must  emphasize  two  others. 

He  was  a  praying  preacher.  Some  are  not.  That  is 
to  say,  prayerfulness  is  not  one  of  their  leading  marks. 
They  are'  talking,  smoking,  or  maybe  simply  thinking 
preachers.  David  was  much  with  God,  especially  in  an- 
ticipation of  the  great  privilege  and  responsibility  of 
speaking  and  ministering  in  His  name.  Often,  upon  his 
knees,  or  flat  on  his  face  in  importunate  groans  and  tears 
and  praj^ers,  and  ejaculating  petition,  praise  and  faith. 
He  had,  too,  a  childlike  leaning  upon  the  prayers  of  oth- 
ers. How  he  coveted  some  one  to  pray  for  him,  just  be- 
fore he  preached,  who  had  manifest  power  at  the  throne ! 
I^ike  Paul  in  this,  when  he  said,  "  Brethren  pray  for  us 
that  the  word  of  God  maj^  have  free  course  and  be  glor- 
ified." And  in  all  so  like  the  apostles  who  declared  that 
they  would  give  themselves  to  the  word  of  God  and  to 
prayer. 


56  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.  UPDEGRAFK 

He  preached  in  confidence  of  the  presence  and  power 
of  the  Holy  Ghost.  Observe!  We  say  "confidence." 
We  might  have  said  consciousness,  but  then  we  w^ould 
have  had  to  qualify  by  saying  "  almost  always,"  for  the 
se7ise  of  the  divine  presence  varies  with  the  most  spiritual 
men  and  ministers.  For  several  reasons  this  is  so,  but 
mainly  that  we  may  "  walk  by  faith  and  not  by  sight." 
In  the  absence  of  this  consciousness  many  get  no  farther 
than  a  desire,  a  hope,  a  feeble  trust,  that  the  Spirit  will 
help  them,  and  if  they  afterward  see  some  fruits  then 
they  feel  sure  that  they  have  been  thus  helped.  But  this 
is  not  faith;  neither  is  it  abiding  power.  Brother  Upde- 
graff  was  consistent  in  this  with  the  doctrine  he  so  de- 
lighted to  proclaim,  that  the  "  anointing  w^hich  we  have 
received  abide  thy  He  rose  before  a  congregation  with 
no  more  confidence  that  he  had  a  voice,  or  a  memory,  or 
a  reason,  or  a  heart,  than  that  he  had  the  personal  Holy 
Ghost  abiding  within  him  to  give  direction,  energy  and 
power  to  each  and  all  of  these,  and  to  exercise  his  own 
direct  power  independently  of  them  all  as  well.  What  a 
source  of  strength  this  was — and  is  to  any  man  !  It  makes 
him  humbly  attribute  his  labors,  like  Paul,  not  to  himself, 
but  to  the  grace  of  God  within  him,  working  mightily. 
It  makes  him  sure  that,  though  his  message  is  not  infal- 
lible because  of  its  human  elements,  it  cannot,  on  the 
other  hand,  be  a  failure  because  of  its  supernatural  and 
divine  element.  It  enables  him  to  dift'er  from  the  scribes 
(ancient  or  modern,  for  they  both  alike  lack  positiveness 
in  their  declarations),  and  become  more  like  Jesus,  who 
spake  as  one  having  authority.  David  Updegraff  has 
demonstrated  to  this  generation  what  many  have  sup- 
posed belonged  only  to  the  apostolic  age,  that  it  is  the 
privilege  of  the   minister  to  be  al^le  to    say;    "  I   have 


THE  PREACHER.  57 

preached  to  you  the  Gospel  with  the  Holy  Ghost  sent 
down  from  heaven." 

His  style  was  versatile.  The  manner  of  his  preaching 
was  as  natural  and  easy  as  its  matter  and  spirit  were  su- 
pernatural and  mighty.  Now  conversational  and  collo- 
quial; now  argumentative  and  oratorical;  now  serious 
and  solemn;  now  playful  and  humorous.  Weeping  now, 
and  then  waking  everybody  up  by  some  sally  of  charac- 
teristic wnt.  He  admitted  to  us  once  that  some  of  his 
moods  and  traits  had  been  trials  to  his  own  sense  of  dig- 
nity, especially  as  he  saw  it  pained  the  sense  of  propriety 
in  some  whom  he  dearly  loved;  but  that  he  must  conse- 
crate his  moods  as  w^ell  as  his  mind  to  the  Lord,  and  let 
the  Spirit  play  upon  them  as  it  were  upon  the  different 
strings  of  a  harp;  for  both  Christ  and  humanity  had  need 
of  them  all. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


A   PASTOR   AND   A   TEACHER. 


"  Feed  the  flock  of  God  which  is  among  yon,  taking  the  over- 
sight thereof."— I  PETER  5  :  1. 

THERE  is,  no  doubt,  tiiitil  this  day  a  diversity  of  gifts 
and  of  operations  for  ministerial  work.  As  in  Nat- 
ure, so  likewise  in  Grace,  men  are  variously  endowed. 
It  is  true  that  natural  talents  may  be  improved  (if  not 
multiplied)  by  education,  exercise,  and  culture.  And  it 
is  also  true  that  spiritual  gifts  may  be  improved  {we 
think  also  viultiplied)  by  exercise  and  by  prayer.  For, 
are  we  not  directed  to  "  covet  earnestly  the  best  gifts;  " 
"  To  desire  spiritual  gifts,  but  rather  that  we  rudiy  proph- 
esy ?  "  What  meaning,  what  force  or  application  would 
these  injunctions  have,  if  the  sovereignty  exercised  by 
God  in  bestowing  these  spiritual  gifts  to  every  man  sev- 
erally as  He  willed,  were  of  such  an  arbitrary  character 
as  to  admit  of  no  change,  no  increase,  either  to  reward 
fidelity,  meet  exigency,  or  to  encourage  prayer  for  such 
spiritual  equipment  for  the  work  of  God  ? 

Men  already  mighty  for  God  and  gifted  in  His  service 
have  told  us  that  upon  reaching  certain  junctures  in  their 
work,  where  the  interests  of  souls  and  the  furtherance 
of  Christ's  kingdom  made  demand  for  gifts  which  they 
were  conscious  they  did  not  possess,  they  have  gone  to 

(58) 


A  PASTOR  AND  A  TEACHER.  59 

prayer,  and  God  lias  signally  answered  in  the  bestowal 
of  just  such  enduements  as  they  needed.  Instead  of 
leaving  the  field  or  shirking  duty  or  missing  opportunity 
by  hastily  concluding  that  because  they  were  not  adapted 
they  were  not,  therefore,  called,  they  were  constrained, 
rather,  by  the  love  of  Christ  to  infer  that  since  they  were 
Providentially  called  they  might,  therefore,  hope  to  be 
graciously  equipped.  And  it  was  unto  them  according 
to  their  faith. 

We  speak  these  things  here,  while  noting  some  of 
David  Updegraff's  preeminent  qualifications  for  the  work 
of  the  ministry,  for  the  reason  that  we  are  too  apt  to 
simply  admire  without  hoping  to  emulate  the  gracious 
accomplishments  of  such  men.  True,  there  is  a  striking 
individuality  throughout,  which  could  not  be  imitated,  and 
which  none  more  earnestly  than  he  would  have  discour- 
aged anybody  from  attempting  to  repeat.  But  these  in- 
dividual characteristics  would  have  been  of  but  little 
account  in  the  work  of  the  Master,  but  for  the  spiritual 
gifts  with  which  they  were  enforced  and  embellished.  And 
like  spiritual  gifts  for  like  ends  will,  in  like  manner,  en- 
force and  embellish  another  individuality  when  the  man 
is  confronted  by  Providence  with  like  opportunities  and 
obligations.  There  is,  after  all,  a  holy  imitativetiess, 
which  the  Scriptures  allow  and  enjoin.  "What  thou 
hast  heard  and  seen  in  me,  do.,  and  the  God  of  peace  will 
be  with  you." 

.  We  might  say  of  David  that  he  was  "  a  faithful  stew- 
ard of  the  ma7iifold  grace  of  God."  To  his  own  con- 
sciousness the  ministry  may  have  been  a  "call,"  but  to 
those  who  heard  him  and  were  blessed  through  him  it 
was  manifestly  a  "gift."  Neither  to  himself  nor  to 
others  who  might  judge  him  did  it  ever  assume  the  form 


60  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

of  a  "  profession."  He  was  evidently  a  servant  to  whom 
was  intrusted  more  than  one  talent.  Indeed,  as  we 
labored  side  by  side  with  him  in  many  battles,  and  as  we 
have  studied  him  still  the  more  since  he  has  gone  to  his 
reward,  we  are  persuaded  that  no  man  we  have  ever 
known,  combined  in  his  ministry  more  of  the  gifts  that 
are  enumerated  in  Eph.  4:11  than  did  he. 

The  reader  observes  that  we  are  carefully  using  the 
word  "  gift  "  in  connection  with  his  ministry.  We  would 
have  it  distinguished  from  "ofhce."  It  will  vSurprise 
many,  perhaps,  when  we  state  that,  strictly  speaking, 
David  UpdegrafT  held  no  ministerial  offices.  Though 
hundreds  of  ministers  and  thousands  of  people  have  been 
blessed  under  his  efficient  and  diversified  ministry,  yet 
he  held  and  sought  no  ecclesiastical  office.  So  many 
think  the  ministry  inseparable  from,  if  not  identical 
with,  a  ministerial  office.  But  the  truth  is  that  the  min- 
istering offices  of  the  church  are  at  best  but  a  most  favor- 
able position  for  the  functions  of  the  ministry ;  and  they 
are  often  but  Providential  appointments  for  church  gov- 
ernment. They  are  sometimes  made  the  occasion  of 
selfish  ambition,  jealousy,  envy,  and  of  the  crime  of 
lording  it  over  God's  heritage.  They  have  a  necessary 
place  in  the  affairs  of  the  kingdom,  but  the  holding  of 
an  office  is  not  essential  to  the  Gospel  ministr3\  Many 
are  disqualified  for  ecclesiastical  office  who  are  efficient 
Gospel  ministers.  Upon  the  other  hand,  many  have 
buried  ministerial  talents  in  the  ambitions  and  cares  of 
ecclesiastical  office.  The  ministerial  gift  is  a  direct  en- 
ergy of  the  Holy  Ghost  working  through  and  sometimes 
beyond  the  faculties  of  the  man  (or  woman).  A  min- 
isterial office  is  a  creation  or  permission  of  Provi- 
dence.    Some  of  these  are  of  divine  authority ;  others 


A  PASTOR  AND  A  TEACHER.  61 

of  divine  allowance ;  perhaps  a  few  of  them  without 
divine  sanction. 

The  offices  of  the  ministry  are  barred  against  some 
who,  nevertheless,  are  endowed  with  ministerial  gifts. 
For  instance,  the  standard  of  scholarship  is  being  raised 
so  high  for  the  ministry  in  some  churches  that  men  with- 
out much  literary  attainment  are  denied  places  in  the 
Conferences,  Presbyteries,  and  stated  pastorates  of  those 
churches.  But  the  gifts  of  the  ministry  are  conditioned 
upon  no  such  attainments,  nor  is  their  exercise  depend- 
ent upon  any  such  positions. 

Again,  women  are  (whether  rightfully  or  wrongfully 
we  will  not  here  discuss)  deprived  of  ministerial  office  in 
most  of  the  churches,  though  they  are  frequently  en- 
dowed with  gifts  for  the  ministry  far  in  advance  of  some 
who  thus  proscribe  them.  They  need  not  care.  Thej^ 
need  not  agitate  themselves  or  others  about  legislation  in 
their  favor.  Let  that  come  or  be  deferred  as  Providence 
may  order.  Heaven  has  legislated  in  their  favor  long 
ago,  and  office  is  not  indispensable  to  the  exercise  of 
their  gifts,  though  it  might  often  be  helpful. 

Then,  too,  there  are  those  w^ho  possess  gifts  for  service, 
who  are  by  some  physical  or  teynporal  coyidition,  or  by 
something  in  the  state  of  their  familes,  of  a  permanent  or 
passing  nature,  rendered  ineligible  to,  or  are  disqualified 
for,  offices  which  would  otherwise  be  open  to  them.  Now, 
if  gifts  were  subordinate  to  office,  these  w^ould  have  to 
bury  their  talents  in  a  napkin.  But  the  office  is  subordi- 
nate to  the  gift;  and  Scripture,  history,  and  experience 
prove  that  what  is  sometimes  styled  an  irregular  ministry, 
has  been  regularly  in  the  divi7ie  order,  and  is  blessed  of 
God  to  the  building  up  of  His  spiritual  house. 

We  have  sometimes  heard  it  whispered  that  ' '  if  David 


62  MEMOIR  OF  DA  VID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

Updegraff  had  been  in  another  church  he  would  certainly 
have  been  made  a  bishop. ' '  Quite  probable ;  unless  it  re- 
quires (as  we  have  heard  it  intimated)  more  of  the  politi- 
cian's art  to  reach  that  position  than  he  would  have  stooped 
to.  But  he  has  accomplished  a  much  greater  spiritual  work 
in  the  churches  than  many  bishops  of  our  times;  and  he 
has  rendered  a  great  additional  service  to  all  ministers, 
who  will  study  him,  in  demonstrating  that  oyie  may  be  a 
trucy  a  diligent,  a7id  a  fruitf  id  minister  of  the  Gospel  with- 
out ever  occupying  so  7nuch  of  an  office  as  the  stated  pastor- 
ate of  a  church.  Though  he  was  respected  and  honored 
at  his  home  church  in  Mount  Pleasant,  Ohio,  as  their 
foremost  minister  for  more  than  a  score  of  years,  yet  such 
were  the  stages  of  development  needed  to  bring  even  that 
progressive  and  blessed  people  up  to  the  official  recogni- 
tion of  the  pastoral  office,  that  it  was  not  until  David  was 
nearing  the  close  of  his  labors  on  earth  (and  then,  perhaps, 
at  his  loving  suggestion,  as  he  saw  he  must  shortly  leave 
them)  that  they  took  action  upon  the  matter  of  regularly 
employing  the  services  of  a  pastor. 

Yet,  for  all  these  years,  David  was  their  true  pastor, 
though  not  by  office,  still  by  a  relationship  more  tender 
and  strong  than  that  of  a  brother.  They  always  expected 
him  to  bring  them  a  message  from  God  when  he  was  not 
absent  in  evangelistic  labors.  All  looked  to  him  for  coun- 
sel in  their  spiritual  matters  and  in  all  the  affairs  of  life. 
He  wept  with  their  sorrows.  He  shouted  with  their  tri- 
umphs. He  buried  their  jdead  and  comforted  their  be- 
reaved ones.  No  pastor  we  have  ever  known — and  we 
are  associated  watli  many  blessed  men  of  God  who  adorn 
this  office— more  fully  met  Paul's  idea  of  a  pastor;  for  he 
watched  over  them  as  a  "  father  ' '  and  cared  for  them  as 
a  ' '  nurse. ' ' 


A  PASTOR  AND  A  TEACHER.  b^ 

A  living,  loving  man  of  God  will  find  his  place  even 
when  the  world  or  the  church  is  too  slow  to  make  it  for 
him. 

He  was  apt  to  teach.  The  "  degrees  "  conferred  by  our 
colleges  and  worn  with  such  satisfaction  as  single  charms 
or  as  beaded  necklaces  by  so  many  of  the  ministers  of  our 
times,  and  coveted  and  sought,  we  understand,  by  so  many 
men,  are  all  of  them  (so  far  as  we  can  recall)  meant  to 
indicate  superior  knowledge  possessed  by  the  wearer.  We 
know  of  none  of  these  which  register  superior  ability  for 
comnnmicating  that  knowledge  to  others,  and  particularly 
wath  reference  to  spiritual  knowledge.  And  since  these 
"  degrees"  tell  us  what  the  times  puts  a  premium  upon, 
and  what  men  are  striving  after,  we  cannot  but  feel  the 
contrast  between  all  this  and  Paul's  comparative  estimate 
of  the  gift  of  knowledge  and  the  gift  of  communicating  it 
to  the  edifying  of  others.  "Yet  in  the  church  I  had 
rather  speak  five  words  with  my  understanding  that  by 
my  voice  I  might  teach  others  also,  than  ten  thousand 
words  in  an  unknown  tongue."    (I.  Cor.  14:  19.) 

David  Updegraff  spoke  words  ' '  easy  to  be  understood 
that  it  might  be  known  what  was  spoken."  All  could  in- 
terpret his  speech.  Few  could  misunderstand  his  mean- 
ing. Many  went  away  saying :  *  *  How  plain  he  makes 
everything."  '*  I  never  saw  that  before  though  I  have 
read  it  so  often,"  etc.  The  effect  of  his  preaching  was 
not  to  stagger  us  with  amazement  at  hozv  rmich  he  knew ; 
but  to  lift  2CS  with  gratitude  to  higher  heights  of  knowledge 
for  ourselves.  The  apostle  Paul  tells  us  that  double  honor 
should  be  accorded  those  ministers  who  labor  in  word  and 
in  doctrine.  And  many  feel  that  this  double  honor  right- 
fully belonged  to  this  humble  child  of  God  and  servant  of 
His  people. 


64  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

He  was  an  exception  to  the  rule  that  a  prophet  is  not 
without  honor,  save  in  his  own  country.  Yet  it  was  as  an 
Evangelist  that  these  various  gifts  combined  to  make 
him  the  national  and  interdenominational  preacher  of  such 
renown  and  of  such  blessing  to  many  that  he  quickly 
came  to  be. 

And  here  we  must  pause  a  moment  to  understand 
more  fully,  if  we  can,  what  an  evangelist  is,  and  what  is 
his  place  in  the  Gospel  economy.  We  have,  we  think,  paved 
the  way  somewhat  for  this  in  distinguishing  between  the 
"  gifts  "  and  the  "  offices  ' '  of  the  ministry. 

We  scarcely  think  the  Evangelist  is  meant  to  be  a 
distinct  office  in  the  church,  though  it  is  manifestly  a 
distinct  and  most  gracious  gift.  The  Scriptures  recog- 
nize this  beyond  all  question  or  doubt.  We  have,  in  the 
Epistle  to  the  Ephesians,  the  evangelist  high  up  in  the 
list  of  gifts.  In  the  Epistle  to'Timothy,  the  work  of  an 
evangelist  is  officially  and  earnestly  recognized  by  an 
apostle.  And  in  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  the  evangelist 
himself  is  referred  to  in  the  person  of  Philip.  This  gift 
has  been  enjoyed  and  exercised  by  many  who  have  held 
no  official  position  in  the  church  or  ministry.  This  work 
was  also  done  by  some  (as  in  the  case  of  Timothy)  in  con- 
nection with  such  other  offices  as  the  pastorate  or  episco- 
pate. The  best  the  church  can  do  with  evangelists  is  to 
recognize  them  by  according  them  proper  credentials.  It 
can  never  make  them,  nor  exterminate  them;  and  it  should 
never  seek  to  circumscribe  them.  They  are  made  to  be 
on  the  wing.  To  confine  them  to  geographical  or  de- 
nominational bounds,  is  like  tying  an  eagle  to  a  post,  or 
barring  an  angel  within  prison  doors.  They  are  in  this 
dispensation  like  the  prophets  in  the  old.  They  were  not 
installed,  as  were  the  priests  and  Levites;  these  qxq.  not 


A  PASTOR  AND  A   TEACHER.  65 

necessarily  ordained,  as  are  bishops  and  pastors.  Like 
the  prophets,  they  are  specially  endowed  of  the  Spirit 
and  sent,  sometimes  to  the  heathen,  but  more  frequently 
to  Israel.  And  like  the  prophets,  again,  they  are  some- 
times rejected  by  those  to  whom  they  are  sent,  and  rulers 
of  synagogues  may  yet  bar  or  cast  them  out.  We  believe 
that  they  occupy,  relatively ^  the  same  position  that  the 
prophets  did,  only  with  superior  powers  and  privileges 
corresponding  with  the  superiority  of  this  Pentecostal 
dispensation,  over  all  others. 

As  there  were  "schools  of  the  prophets"  in  those 
days,  so  we  think  there  should  be  "schools  of  evangel- 
ists "  in  these  days.  There  are  some  such,  but  more  are 
needed;  and  some  of  a  different  kiyid.  And  for  such  we 
w^ould  like  to  have  David  Updegraff  as  a  model  in  the 
spiritual  and  practical  study  for  the  evangelists  of  our 
day.     As  such,  we  will  present  him  in  the  next  chapter. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

A   MODEL    EVANGELIST. 
"  He  gave  to  some  .  .  .  Evangelists."— Eph.  4 :  11. 

WK  judge  that  there  has  been  no  age  in  the  church's 
history  when  there  have  not  been  evangelists. 
But  in  our  own  times,  perhaps  as  never  before,  has 
Christendom  been  blessed  with  this  class  of  called  and 
gifted  workers.  We  say  "  blessed,"  notwithstanding  the 
adverse  criticisms  and  reflections  often  passed  upon  them 
by  the  religious  press  and  some  ecclesiastical  prelates. 
For  wdiile,  no  doubt,  some  evangelists  have  reproached 
themselves  as  well  as  the  cause  (as,  indeed,  have  some 
pastors  and  a  few  editors  and  bishops),  yet  we  are  con- 
vinced that  the  strictures  placed  by  some  upon  evangel- 
ists, and  the  efforts  to  deny  them  recognition,  if  not 
existence,  all  grow  out  of  a  misconception  of  the  evan- 
gelist's gift  and  calling,  or  else  out  of  prejudice,  envy, 
groundless  fear,  or  an  inordinate  desire  to  control. 

It  is  charged  that  by  the  etymolog}^  of  the  term  ' '  the 
evangelist  is  simply  a  missionar^^  and  is  to  be  sent  only 
to  the  regions  beyond,  without  any  right  to  minister  to 
Christians  or  to  established  churches. ' '  But  this  effort 
at  bajiishment  of  the  eva7igelist  by  etymology  must  prove 
futile,  since  the  history'  (both  Scriptural  and  general) 
of  the  evangelist  shows   that  he  has  a  mission   in   the 

(66j 


A  MODEL  EVANGELIST.  67 

church  as  well  as  without,  and  since  Inspiration  distinctly 
tells  us  that  "he  gave  some  .  .  .  evangelists  .  .  .  for 
the  perfecting  of  the  saints  .  .  .  for  the  edifyijig  of  the 
body  of  Christ,''  etc. 

The}^  charge  again  that  the  evangelist  is  a7i  irrespon- 
sible person.  But  what  can  they  mean  by  this,  unless  it 
be  that  his  liberty  of  speech  and  of  travel  is  not  wholly 
under  the  control  of  others?  Certain  it  is,  that  his  char- 
acter and  conduct  are  under  the  surveillance  of  the 
church  to  which  he  belongs.  So  are  his  doctrinal  teach- 
ings. Now,  if  priests  or  sanhedrims  w^ould  seek  to  con- 
trol or  prohibit  beyond  these  bounds  of  responsibility, 
would  they  not  be  guilty  of  repeating  the  injunctions  of 
the  council  against  the  apostles  further  preaching  and 
teaching  in  the  name  of  Jesus?  To  whom  Peter  was 
constrained  to  submit,  "  Whether  it  be  right  in  the  sight 
of  God,  to  hearken  unto  you  more  than  unto  God,  judge 

ye." 

The  evangelist  is  said  to  be  merce7iary ,  and  out  in  the 
field  for  the  fleece  of  the  flock.  This,  probably,  is  true 
of  some  of  them;  but  if  it  is  so,  it  is  not  because  they  are 
evangelists,  but  because  they  are  men — men  who  have 
not  yet  parted  with  the  carnal  mind,  and -who  need,  like 
the  elders  and  pastors  addressed  by  an  apostle  once,  to  be 
exhorted  to  feed  the  flock  of  God,  "  not  for  filthy  lucre's 
sake,  but  of  a  ready  mind."  We  sincerely  wish  that 
none  but  evangelists,  pastors,  etc.,  were  to  blame  at 
this  point. 

In  all  of  these  particulars  David  Updegraff  was  a  fnodel 
evangelist.  All  could  see  who  beheld  him  in  this  work, 
that  w4th  him  it  was  a  passion,  not  a  profession.  It  was 
"his  meat  and  drink  to  do  the  will  of  Him  that  sent  him 
and  to  finish  his  work."     Indeed,  it  seemed  also  to  be  his 


68  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

rest;  for  he  would  often,  after  the  most  exhaustive  labor 
in  public,  toil  till  the  late  hours  of  the  night  and  early 
hours  of  the  morning  in  private,  to  lead  a  troubled  soul 
into  the  light. 

Pastoral  boundaries  are  always  too  narrow  for  a  man 
like  this.  The  loving  fire  that  burned  in  his  bosom 
sought  vent  in  every  direction.  As  doors  opened  to  him, 
he  entered  without  partiality  or  prejudice.  Denomina- 
tional loyalty  did  not,  with  him,  degenerate  to  sectarian 
prejudice,  and  he  practically  ''knew  no  man  after  the 
flesh."  Where  some  others  would  fear  to  go,  lest  they 
might  compromise  themselves  or  their  reputation,  he 
looked  at  nothing  but  the  opportunity  to  preach  Christ 
and  to  save  souls.  None  could  ever  even  suspect  him  of 
sect-building,  or  of  an  ambition  to  create  a  personal  fol- 
lowing. To  him  the  great  object  of  his  ministry  was  to 
lead  every  man  into  the  liberty  of  Christ,  and  to  the 
decision  of  many  minor  matters  for  himself. 

Having  no  ecclesiastical  ambition,  he  was  notably  free 
of  those  political  fears  which  so  often  warp  the  ministry 
of  men  who  think  there  is  something  higher  than  simply 
being  a  servant  of  all  in  preaching  the  Lord  Jesus.  Hold- 
ing no  office,  the  authority  he  exercised  was  that  of  love, 
and  always  in  the  Spirit.  He  was  never  unmindful  of 
sinners,  and  felt  frequently  impelled  to  declare  the  wrath 
of  God,  and  to  warn  the  impenitent  to  flee  to  the  Rock 
of  Ages  for  safety.  And  many  were  thus  warned.  But 
like  most  of  the  more  spiritual  evangelists  of  our  times, 
he  felt  he  had  a  special  ministry  to  the  church.  Indeed, 
his  interpretation  of  Eph.  6  :  12  was  that  by  the  *'  high  ' ' 
or  *  *  heavenly  ' '  places  is  meant  the  church  itself.  That 
this  is  the  battlefield  on  which  the  "principalities  and 
powers"  of  darkness  are  to  be  met  and  fought  by  the 


A  MODEL  EVANGELIST.  69 

Christian  in  full  armor.  The  doctrine  of  Holiness  and 
the  Office  Work  of  The  Spirit  became  largely  the  subjects 
of  his  preaching,  and  the  sanctification  of  believers  with 
their  consequent  liberation  and  anointing  for  work  the 
objective  end  to  which  he  labored. 

His  personal  views  on  a  few  topics  (which  we  notice  in 
an  another  chapter)  never  figured  prominently  in  his 
public  preaching.  He  never  made  the  mistake  of  ac- 
counting their  acceptance  as  conditional  to  full  salvation. 
Neither  would  he  magnify  details.  Some  who  claim  for 
themselves  a  more  radical  view  of  holiness  than  others 
seem  guilty  of*  tithing  mint  and  anise  and  cummin,"  in 
dealing  with  what  seem  to  us  the  laterals  rather  than  the 
radicals  of  this  blessed  theme  and  life.  Not  so  he.  A 
brother  minister  met  him  on  a  camp-ground  one  day,  the 
said  minister  smoking  a  cigar  at  the  time.  "Ah,  Brother 
David,"  he  said,  **  I  know  thee  is  about  to  go  for  my 
cigar."  *'  No,"  promptly  responded  David,  "  If  I  cannot 
hit  thee  lower  down  than  that  I  will  not  strike  thee  at 
all."  The  minister  received  the  fullness  of  the  Spirit  at 
that  meeting,  and  true  to  David's  prediction,  "soon  shed 
his  dead  leaves  without  any  help  from  him." 

Servians  were  never  the  end  of  his  preaching,  but  always 
ScycjivS.  His  faith  bade  him  expect  results,  and  his  love 
labored  to  bring  them  about.  His  after  services  w^ere 
unique.  No  one  can  imitate  them.  Nor  were  they  copied 
from  any  other  man's.  From  the  moment  he  made  the 
call,  or  gave  the  invitation,  until  the  last  one  had  left  the 
auditorium,  all  could  feel  that  he  was  burning  with  zeal 
for  thorough  work  in  individual  souls. 

Ready  to  do  anything  that  would  help  a  person  take  an 
initial  step,  if  it  were  only  to  hold  up  the  hand  or  to  rise, 
yet  he  was  never  satisfied  till  that  step  was  followed  by 


70  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

the  next  and  the  next,  and  on  until  the  man  was  on  his 
knees,  then  praying  audibly  for  himself,  and  in  many 
cases  crying  aloud,  and  at  length  trusting,  perhaps  shout- 
ing, and  at  all  events  telling  what  God  had  done  for  his 
soul.  Meanwhile,  as  this  man  of  God  has  become  ab- 
sorbed in  this  single  soul,  it  might  seem  as  though  the 
meeting  would  disintegrate,  but  no;  his  zeal  has  inspired 
many  others  in  similar  directions.  The  liberty  he  accords 
fellow-w^orkers  in  meeting  now  tells  to  great  advantage. 
The  responsibility  is  shared  by  all,  as  he  devotes  himself 
to  the  needy  soul.  The  w^hole  place  is  like  a  busy  bee- 
hive. To  an  onlooker,  it  would  seem  like  disorder,  but 
the  blessed  Spirit  is  brooding  over  the  place.  Light  is 
breaking  into  many  souls.  Fire  is  breaking  forth  from 
many  more.  "  Not  too  much  singing,  brethren," we  hear 
him  call  at  these  crucial  junctures.  "Pray  !  pray  !  pray ! " 
Now  again,  "Give  way  there,  you  w^ho  are  used  to  pray- 
ing, and  let  this  sister,  who  has  never  opened  her  mouth 
in  prayer,  get  her  liberty.  Now,  sister,  pray."  At  first 
it  is  mechanical.  She  scarcely  does  so  much  as  open  her 
mouth.  He  puts  words  into  it.  The  simplest  kind  of 
words.  Then,  "A  little  louder,  sister.  Pray  aloud  if  it 
kills  you.  For  whoever  shall  call  on  the  name  of  the 
Lord  shall  be  saved."  Maybe  she  breaks  out  into  te^yrs 
and  weeps.  Then  his  own  eye  moistens,  his  voice  trem- 
bles, he  weeps  with  her,  thanks  God  for  a  baptism  of 
tears,  and  again  urges  her  to  pra}^  Now  the  victory 
comes.  Her  tongue  is  unloosed,  her  face  is  wreathed 
w4th  smiles,  her  soul  leaps  out  into  victory.  She  sings,  or 
shouts,  or  takes  him  by  the  hand,  grateful  for  an  eman- 
cipation which  means  a  new  and  an  exuberant  life  to  her, 
and  blessing  to  many  through  her. 

Nor  were  his  labors  of  this  kind  limited  to  meetings 


A  MODEL  EVANGELIST.  71 

where  he  was  in  charge,  nor  indeed  to  meetings  at  all. 
He  sees  a  query  in  the  question  column  of  a  religious 
paper  from  one  in  bondage  or  some  kind  of  darkness  or 
perplexity.  With  his  acute  discriminativeness  he  diag- 
noses the  case.  With  his  untiring  love  he  addresses  the 
party  a  letter  (though  they  have  never  met).  A  corre- 
spondence opens  by  which  he  is  enabled  to  lead  the  soul 
out  into  a  broad  place  of  power  and  liberty.  The  re- 
sult is  that  another  evangelist  is  set  loose,  by  whose  labors 
hundreds  are  annually  being  converted  to  God,  and  many 
more  sanctified. 

And  what  was  his  compensation  for  these  many  toils  ? 
None  have  ever  known  him  to  stipulate  a  financial  con- 
sideration. Many,  upon  the  other  hand,  can  recall  in- 
stances where  he  not  only  w^ent  and  labored,  without 
temporal  remuneration,  but  at  his  own  charges  besides. 
Fellow  laborers  can  tell  of  times  when  he  did  not  think 
the  offerings  were  enough  to  go  all  around,  and  he  quietly 
insisted  that  they  should  allow  him  only  his  traveling  ex- 
penses, and  see  that  the  others  were  provided  for.  From 
a  worldly  standpoint,  this  was  all  at  a  great  sacrifice  to 
himself,  too.  For,  though  Providence  had  otherwise 
blessed  him  with  a  home  and  some  sustenance  therefor, 
yet  the  business  enterprise  which  would  have  made  him 
rich  was  now,  for  these  twenty-five  years,  in  the  prime 
of  his  life,  subordinated  and  abandoned  to  reserve  time 
and  strength  for  the  exercise  of  the  vSkill  he  w^ould  apply 
to  the  making  of  others  rich  in  the  things  eternal.  He 
could  literally  say  with  Paul,  ''  What  things  were  gain  to 
me  those  I  counted  loss  for  Christ." 

His  course,  however,  in  these  matters,  was  not  dictated 
by  a  traditional  prejudice  against  what  some  would  call 
an    "hireling  ministry."       This    should,   we  think,   be 


72  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

clearly  understood.  When  neither  the  cause  he  served, 
nor  any  of  the  brethren  whom  he  vServed  were  likely  to 
suffer,  he  would  gratefully  accept  any  such  voluntary 
compensation  for  his  services,  regarding  it  as  both  justified 
by  the  facts  and  authorized  by  the  Scriptures.  This  con- 
viction was  more  fully  evidenced,  w^hen,  in  his  relation  to 
the  home  church,  he  was  instrumental  in  the  employmentof 
other  evangelivSts.  In  such  instances,  the  brother  or  sister 
(for  he  heartily  believed  in  both  kinds)  was  sure  to  bear 
away  the  substantial  appreciation  of  those  dear  people, 
who  gladly  accepted  the  teaching  of  Paul,  brought  out 
by  their  faithful  David,  that  it  was  not  a  great  matter  for 
them  to  minister  carnal  things  to  those  who  had  minis- 
tered things  spiritual  to  them. 

But  David  UpdegrafF's  real  compensation  was  much 
higher  and  greater  than  these  things.  How  evident  this 
was,  as  one  beheld  the  manifold  pleasures  which  filled 
his  heart  and  beamed  out  of  his  countenance  when  one 
would  humbly  .speak  of  the  blessing  that  he  had  been 
made  to  them.  This  seemed  to  be  pay  enough.  The 
hundreds  of  happy  homes  which  would  welcome  him  as 
a  brother  or  as  a  father,  were  in  fulfillment  of  the  Savior's 
promise  of  "  an  hundred  fold  in  this  present  time."  But 
the  real  reward  was  yet  ahead.  He  is  enjoying  its  first 
dividends  now.  But  they  will  be  accruing  constantly,  as 
the  seed  he  has  vSown  broadcast  continues  to  yield  its 
multiplying  harvests.     For  his  works  do  follow  him. 


CHAPTER   X. 


AUTHOR   AND    EDITOR. 


**  Moreover  i  will  endeavor  that  ye  may  be  able  after  my  de- 
cease to  have  these  things  always  in  remembrance." — II.  Peter 
1:  13. 

THK  pen  has  been  now,  for  many  centuries,  an  instru- 
ment chosen  of  God  for  the  publication  and  preser- 
vation of  His  truth.  In  modern  times  it  has,  with  its 
auxiliary,  the  printing  press,  become  a  mighty  weapon 
both  for  and  against  the  Gospel,  To  be  able  to  write 
lucidly  and  strongly  upon  themes  of  Christian  life  and 
doctrine,  and  to  be  able  to  discern  the  true  and  the  false 
in  the  writings  of  others,  are  accomplishments  second 
only  to  that  of  preaching  the  Gospel  itself. 

David  Updegraff  excelled  in  both  directions.  He  never 
wrote  anything  tame  or  trashy.  He  was  skillful  in  prick- 
ing the  glittering  bubbles,  which  for  awhile  rise  in  the 
literary  world,  and  which  fascinate  many  to  their  own 
disadvantage  and  damage.  He  was  a  frequent  contribu- 
tor to  the  papers  and  magazines  which  have  grown  up  as 
a  part  of  the  great  Holiness  revival  in  which  he  has  been 
so  conspicuous  a  figure.  These  contributions  were  marked 
by  the  following  characteristics.  Strict  adherence  to  the 
subject  in  hand.     Great  faithfulness  and  skill  in  present- 

0  (73) 


74  MEMOIR  OP  DAi^lD  B,  VPDEGRaPP. 

ing  doctrine.  Forceful  and  often  original  expositions  of 
Scripture.  Strong  logic.  Apt  and  natural  illustration, 
and  a  manifest  passion  to  have  others  share  the  benefits 
and  blessings  of  whatever  truth  he  was  presenting. 

He  made  no  claims  to  high  literary  polish.  Indeed,  his 
soul  was  so  eager  to  present  the  food  itself,  that  he 
would  minister,  he  could  scarcely  wait  to  give  undue  time 
and  attention  to  the  platter  upon  which  it  was  served. 
Yet,  as  an  evidence  of  how  the  character  and  style  of  his 
writings  were  appreciated  by  those  who  did  measure  from 
the  literary  standpoint  somewhat,  we  might  mention  the 
fact  that  when  that  most  excellent  magazine.  The  Forum, 
wanted  a  man  who  could  ably  and  tersely  represent  the 
Society  of  Friends  in  an  article  for  its  columns,  it  some- 
how turned  to  David  Updegraff,  who  responded  in  an 
essay  entitled  **The  Confessions  of  a  Quaker,"  published 
in  that  magazine  in  the  issue  of  April,  1887.  It  is  an 
article  which  will,  perhaps,  interest  our  readers  to  peruse 
and  have  on  hand. 

About  the  beginning  of  that  year  (1887)  he  yielded  to 
convictions  from  within  and  solicitations  from  without, 
and  took  up  the  editorial  pen.  His  \vas  a  characteristic 
journal,  called  '*  The  Friends'  Expositor."  In  his  saluta- 
tory, he  says  :  "  We  think  it  incompatible  with  Christian 
dignity  to  come  into  the  presence  of  the  editorial  frater- 
nity and  the  numberless  constituency  of  the  religious 
press  with  a  cringing  apology.  We  think  none  is  needed. 
The  field  is  wide,  the  harvest  is  great,  and  there  is  room 
for  all.  Our  sole  object  is  the  glory  of  God  in  the  salvation 
of  sinners,  the  perfect iyig  of  the  saiyits,  and  the  edifying  of 
the  body  of  Christ.''  The  magazine  was  a  quarterly  of 
rare  merit  on  the  lines  thus  indicated.  To  many  who  re- 
ceived it,  it  came  like  a  rich  pastoral  visit,  a  brotherly 


AUTHOR  AND  EDITOR.  75 

letter,  a  treatise  upon  deeply  spiritual  and  eminentl}^  prac- 
tical themes.  He  always  came  through  these  pages,  ac- 
companied by  choice  friends  and  contributors,  all  of  whom 
were  appreciated,  but  none  looked  for  so  heartily  and 
earnestly  as  David  himself.  His  leader  was  usually  a 
strong  doctrinal  sermon,  exposition  or  discussion.  His 
editorial  letter  was  a  characteristic  gem,  taken  right  from 
the  bosom  of  the  man,  and  sent  to  the  heart  of  every 
reader. 

We  give  a  specimen. 

' '  Dear  Readers  —  It  is  only  a  little  while  since  we 
greeted  many  of  you  face  to  face  in  some  place  of  worship, 
and  we  have  no  doubt  that  we  are  personally  acquainted 
with  a  greater  proportion  of  our  readers  than  is  the  com- 
mon lot  of  editors.  Many  of  you  are  in  some  sense  our 
spiritual  children,  and  all  are  beloved  in  the  Gospel.  We 
are  striving  to  minister  to  your  spiritual  needs,  and  as  we 
meet  from  time  to  time,  we  greatly  enjoy  witnessing  your 
stability  in  the  truth,  and  growth  in  grace.  How  many  of 
us  have  enjoyed  the  various  reunions  of  the  great  Ex- 
positor family  this  summer !  Some  at  Newport.  Some 
at  New  Albany.  Many  at  Mountain  Lake  Park.  Many 
at  Old  Orchard  and  Manchester.  A  large  number  at 
Pitman  Grove  and  Johanna  Heights.  Many  at  Ocean 
Grove  and  Ohio  Yearly  Meeting.  And  we  do  not  for- 
get the  multitude  we  have  never  seen.  How  glad  we 
are  for  the  place  you  give  us  in  your  hearts,  and  for 
your  kindness.  We  could  not  number  those  who  have 
been  so  kind,  as  to  tell  us  that  we  have,  under  God,  been 
made  a  blessing  to  them,  and  that  the  Expositor  is  real 
food  for  their  souls.  We  intend  it  shall  be  still  more  so. 
We  are  greatly  cheered  by  these  encouraging  words, 
and  the  several  hundred  new  subscribers  received  during 


76  MEMOIk  OF  DAVID  B.  UPDBGRAFF. 

the  past  year.  A  large  number  have  also  renewed,  and 
very  few,  indeed,  discontinued.  One  good  vSister  thought 
she  must  curtail  expenses,  and  ordered  the  Expositor 
stopped,  but  before  it  was  'stopped'  she  had  repented 
and  subscribed  again  !  Sometimes  persons  are  reallj^  in- 
convenienced to  find  the  half  dollar  needed  for  renewal 
or  subscription,  in  which  case  we  hope  they  wall  avail 
themselves  of  the  gratuitous  fund,  which  is  generously 
supplied  by  the  voluntary  contributions  of  our  friends. 
A  few  have  been  very  careless  in  the  matter,  and  allow 
the  paper  to  continue  its  visits  from  year  to  year  without 
a  response  of  any  kind.  We  are  not  hard  to  please,  and, 
far  from  being  exacting,  but  we  would  like  to  have  a  clear 
understanding  with  everyone. 

"  This  is  the  last  No.  of  Vol.  IV.  How  many  of  us 
shall  company  together  during  1891  ?  We  cannot  tell. 
It  may  open  to  us  with  the  usual  congratulations,  and 
bright  prospects  for  this  life,  but  close  with  all  of  these 
exchanged  for  eternal  realities.  There  will  come  a  last 
year,  a  last  day,  a  last  moment  on  this  earth  to  us  all. 
God  grant  we  maj^  everyone  enter  upon  an  eternal  day 
in  heaven.  With  the  close  of  the  year  comes  the  close  of 
the  volume  of  3'our  opporUinities  and  mine  for  1890.  Three 
months  yet  remain  of  golden  privileges,  should  the  Lord 
tarry.  Let  us  use  them  while  we  may,  and  joyfully  await 
His  coming.  The  past  has  been  a  year  of  severe  testing 
in  many  ways,  and  of  unusual  toil,  but  taken  altogether, 
it  has  been  one  of  remarkable  victory.  We  have  had  no 
vacation.  Work  has  been  constantly  pressed  upon  us, 
and  w^e  have  had  a  real  relish  for  it,  and  strength  to  per- 
form it  marvelously  given.  For  the  loving  sympathy  and 
nmumerable  prayers  on  behalf  of  the  precious  wnfe,  known 
and  loved  by  so  many  of  you,  we  return  heartfelt  thanks. 


AUTHOR  AND  EDITOR.  77 

Though  still  an  invalid  at  Dr.  Barr's  Hj^gienic  Institute, 
we  are  cheered  by  signs  of  real  improvement  and  return- 
ing strength,  for  which  we  praise  the  lyord.  The  pages 
of  this  issue  are  filled  with  choice  contributions  from 
writers  of  superior  merit  and  ability.  We  return  them 
our  sincere  thanks,  with  the  assurance  of  a  warm  welcome 
to  our  columns  at  all  times.  As  a  partial  recompense, 
they  may  also  be  assured  of  the  unusually  appreciative 
character  of  their  readers.  Now,  if  the  Lord  will,  we 
shall  continued  to  issue  the  Expositor  in  1891,  and  hope 
for  some  assistance,  in  some  way,  from  every  o?ie  who  reads 
these  lines.  And  'may  the  Lord  bless  thee  and  keep 
thee;  the  Lord  make  His  face  to  shine  upon  thee,  and  give 
thee  peace.'  " 

Brother  UpdegrafF  was  an  able  critic.  Always  appre- 
ciative, never  cynical,  satisfied,  if  the  matter  was  right, 
to  let  it  have  his  hearty  approval,  even  if  its  manner  was 
not  the  happiest.  But  resolutely  and  diametrically  op- 
posed to  the  contravention  of  error,  no  matter  how  plausi- 
bly put,  or  how  popular  and  fascinating  its  dress.  These 
were  his  tests  either  of  preaching  or  of  religious  liter- 
ature. It  must  bear  marks  of  crimson  Blood.  It  must 
accord  with  the  law  and  the  testimony.  It  must  adjust 
itself  to  the  range  of  spiritual  liberty.  With  the  first  test 
he  was  quick  to  detect  the  scent  of  a  subtle  Unitarianism 
which  creeps  into  much  that  is  written  and  supposed  to 
be  orthodox.  With  the  secoyid  he  made  war  upon  the 
unauthorized  traditions  and  usages  with  which  some 
make  the  word  of  God  of  none  eifect,  and  also  upon 
fanatical  perversions  of  the  Spirit's  guidance.  And  with 
the  third  he  exposed  and  denounced  the  bigotry  of  secta- 
rianism and  the  papacy  of  some  Protestant  ecclesia^ics. 


78  MEMOIR  OF  DA  VID  B.   UPDEGRAFF. 

We  give  illustrations  here  of  some  of  his  critical  re- 
views and  comments: 

NATURAL   LAW,  ETC. 

Professor  Drummond  is  no  doubt  a  scholar,  an  accom- 
plished professor,  and  a  most  amiable  gentleman,  and  we 
cannot  doubt  a  very  attractive  lecturer  or  speaker,  though 
we  have  never  heard  him.  But  we  have  received  several 
copies  of  his  "Natural  Law  in  the  Spiritual  World." 
Surely  this  book  has  not  been  ''received  with  suspi- 
cion,"— as  intimated  in  the  preface — by  a  confiding  pub- 
lic. But  the  multitudes  that  admire  its  gifted  author 
have  felt  in  duty  bound  to  admire  his  book.  His  chaste 
and  elegant  diction,  his  "gentle  spirit"  and  "beautiful 
prayers,"  seem  to  have  made  him  the  favorite  speaker  at 
Chautauqua  and  Northfield  last  Summer,  and  of  a  general 
prejudice  in  his  favor  there  can  be  no  doubt.  His  book 
has,  of  course,  had  a  wonderful  sale.  We  shall  not  at- 
tempt any  extended  review  of  this  work,  as  we  are  not  a 
Scientist,  to  judge  of  the  "science"  and  really  find  but 
little  ' '  religion  ' '  in  it.  At  one  time  he  says  his  science 
and  his  religion  "  lay  at  the  opposite  poles  of  thought," 
but  finally  there  was  a  "  great  change  i7i  the  compari- 
7ne7it  which  held  the  religion. "  "  The  two  fountains  of 
knowledge  slowly  began  to  overflow,  and  finally  their 
waters  met  and  mingled." 

It  is  significant  that  the  breach  was  made  in  the  wall 
of  the  "Religious  compartment."  We  could,  however, 
think  the  evolution  theories  of  this  disciple  of  Darwin 
less  harmful  if,  like  the  latter,  he  should  declare,  ''Science 
and  Christ  have  nothing  to  do  with  each  other,  except  in  as 
far  as  the  habit  of  Scientific  investigations  77iake  a  77ian 
cautious  about  accepti7ig  any  proofs.''     But  our  author  in- 


AUTHOR  AND  EDITOR.  79 

sists  upon  the  "  IDENTITY  "  of  "Spiritual  Laws"  and 
"  Natural  Laws."  He  seems  to  care  nothing  for  the  dec- 
laration that  ''God  created  7?ian  m  His  ow?i  image,''  but 
asks,  what  makes  one  little  speck  of  protoplasm  grow 
into  Newton's  dog  Diamond,  and  another  exactly  the 
same  into  Newton  himself?"  And  for  a  definition  of 
Eternal  Life,  that  given  by  our  Lord  Jesus  in  John  17: 
13,  seems  to  be  set  aside  in  order  to  give  place  to  one 
given  by  Herbert  Spencer,  one  of  the  most  notorious  infi- 
dels on  the  earth.  It  is  this  :  ' '  Correspondence  wuth  en- 
vironment," or  with  everythi7ig  outside  of  ourselves.  So 
that  we  might  all  confess  with  Ulysses,"  *'  I  am  a  part  of 
all  that  I  have  met." 

Such  is  claimed  to  be  "one  of  the  most  startling 
achievements  of  recent  Science ! "  this  definition  of 
"Eternal  Life."  "For  eighteen  hundred  years  there 
was  only  one  definition;  now  there  are /z£^<7 .'" '  And  the 
new  discovery  of  Spencer  is  the  theme  which  seems  to 
enrapture  and  inspire  the  pen  of  our  fascinating  author. 
We  do  not  attempt  to  expose  these  vain  imaginings.  It 
does  not  seem  to  be  needed.  To  call  attention  to  them 
ought  to  be  enough  for  the  spiritually-taught  reader. 
We  could  fill  pages  with  similar  stuff.  But  we  search 
this  book  in  vain  for  God's  truth  concerning  ato7iement 
for  sin  by  Jesus  Christ,  but  instead  thereof,  we  are 
pointed  to  Nature  and  Science  as  the  panacea  for  all 
our  ills. 

We  closed  the  book  with  sadness  and  disappointment, 
not  to  say  disgust,  long  ago,  or  shortly  after  its  first  ap- 
pearance, and  wrote  the  views  privately  to  a  friend, 
which  it  now  becomes  our  duty  to  give  to  the  public. 

The  Boyhood  of  Christ.  By  Lew  Wallace.  An 
elegantly  bound  volume,  but  unfit  for  a  Christian  home. 


80  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

It  is  a  repetition  of  myths,  ancient,  harmful,  and  absurd, 
mixed  with  unreasonable  speculations  as  to  the  boyhood 
of  Jesus.  The  author  says  his  object  in  writing  it  was 
to  fix  an  impression  in  his  own  mind  of  the  humanity  of 
Christ !  An  achievement  not  near  so  difficult  or  important 
as  to  set  Him  forth  to  our  youth  as  the  Son  of  God.  This 
beautiful  book  is  worth  more  for  fuel  than  food. 

Thomas  Kimber  has  recently  written  in  the  Review 
on  the  ''Decadence  of  the  Churchy  He  takes  the  Apos- 
tolic church  for  the  model,  as  of  course  he  must,  the 
freest  from  all  admixtures  of  the  doctrines  or  traditions 
of  men.  Now  will  not  he  or  his  Editor  tell  us  w^hy  they 
discard  Apostolical  practices?  Why  they  want  decrees 
against  them,  and  against  those  who  are  in  accord  with 
their  practices?  It  would  make  interesting  reading  if 
some  man  that  has  self-respect  enough  to  hold  him  to  a 
logically  consistent  argument  would  just  show  us  how  it 
is  that  a  church  that  claims  consideration  because  of  its 
Apostolic  model  can  enjoin  its  ministers  and  members 
against  following  Apostolic  example?  It  is  freely  con- 
ceded that  there  are  several  thousands  of  people  w^ho  can 
be  received  as  good  citizens  of  heaven  who  cannot  be 
welcomed  into  the  Friends'  church,  while  it  is  pretty 
well  known  that  there  are  some  who  stand  fairly  well  in 
the  church  who  could  not  get  into  heaven  without  a 
great  change. 

Philadelphia  Yearly  Meeting  was,  as  usual,  noted  for 
its  "quiet"  and  uneventfulness.  A  year  ago  it  ap- 
pointed a  large  committee  to  visit  families,  meetings,  etc. 
In  the  report  of  this  committee,  and  in  a  special  session 
of  its  members  and  some  others  specially  designated  and 
invited,   some   interest   was   awakened.     But   when  the 


AUTHOR  AND  EDITOR.  81 

committee  was  continued  with  an  authority  to  "  incor- 
porate"  themselves  with  any  subordinate  meeting  and 
act  as  though  constituting  the  same,  the  hope  of  revival 
that  had  been  kindled  in  some  breasts  was  speedily  ex- 
tinguished. The  meaning  of  this  could  only  be  conject- 
ured, until  one  who  "ought  to  know"  .would  seem  to 
foreshadow  the  real  animus  in  the  case  v/hen  he  writes  : 

**  If,  by  this  course,  every  vestige  of  Fast  Quakerism 
was  cleared  out  of  Philaelphia,  Fast  Quakers  would  have 
no  real  object  of  complaint."  One  friend  objected  to  the 
continuance  on  the  ground  that  it  looked  '  *  too  much 
like  missionary  work,  and  in  that  there  is  danger."  In  a 
meeting  of  ministers  and  elders,  a  minister  from  Kansas 
(Jesse  Wilmore)  was  publicly  requested  to  leave,  because 
he  was  understood  to  believe  in  a  financial  support  of  the 
Gospel.  The  request  was  insisted  upon,  and  he  with- 
drew accordingly. 

Another  incident,  illustrative  of  the  inconsistency  of 
those  who  constantly  issue  tirades  against  a  * '  pastoral 
system,"  or,  as  it  is  sneeringly  called,  a  "  one-man  su- 
premacy," was  a  public  reprimand  from  Morris  Cope,  to 
a  friend  who  Avas  speaking  in  the  way  of  ministry  during 
a  session  of  the  Yearly  Meetings.  He  was  bluntly  told 
that  '*  This  is  not  a  meeting  for  preaching,'"  and  that  it 
was  not  suitable  for  every  one  to  preach  that  could  preach 
at  the  Yearly  Meeting  time  !  Quite  true,  no  doubt,  but 
an  example  of  human  "dictation"  from  an  elder  that 
quite  surpasses  anything  we  have  known  from  any  min- 
ister under  the  "  pastoral  system." 

RANK    FANATICISM. 

In  our  last  No.  we  made  a  mere  allusion  to  th^  "  Irvine- 
Burns  Controversy."      But  recent  numbers  of  the  Ex- 


82  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

posiTOR  OF  Holiness,  edited  by  Rev.  N.  Burnes,  of 
Toronto,  have  been  so  outspoken  in  error  that  duty  re- 
quires a  further  word.  We  must  say  that  Brother  Burns' 
"  Controversy  "  is  not  alone  with  Brother  Irvine,  but  with 
all  true  Holiness  teachers  and  Bible  teachings.  We  can 
not  doubt  the  sincerity,  and  the  kind  spirit  of  our  friend, 
but  this  can  never  atone  for  his  serious  and  damaging 
errors  propagated  in  the  name  of  Bible  Holiness.  He 
calls  the  Bible  doctrine  of  iyibred  sin,  "A  Modern  The- 
ory," and  proposes  to  "destroy"  it,  but  his  arguments 
are  almost  frivolous.  As  to  the  matter  of  Divine  Guid- 
ance he  is  a  monomane.  He  talks  it,  writes  it,  preaches 
it,  and  gives  us  a  book  upon  it.  The  tendency  of  it  all 
is  to  disregard  the  Scriptures,  destroy  a  proper  confidence 
in  spiritual  advisers  and  overlook  God's  providences. 
This  once  accomplished,  and  a  man  is  brought  into  a  con- 
dition where  the  mind  has  become  so  morbid  and  over- 
wrought as  to  be  utterly  unable  to  detect  the  voice  of  the 
Spirit  in  the  soul,  from  Satanic  imitations  of  the  same. 
Rank  fanaticism  is  inevitable.  In  the  name  of  true  Bible 
Holiness  and  our  blessed  and  holy  religion,  we  beg  our 
friends  to  beware  of  these  snares  of  the  devil,  and  our 
brother  to  renounce  his  perilous  positions,  and  deal  in 
those  practical  truths  that  will  do  men  good  and  not 
mischief.  It  is  blessed  to  know  that  the  "steps  of  a 
good  man  are  ordered  of  the  Lord,"  and  also  blessed  to 
acquiesce  in  whatever  method  God  may  choose  for  the 
ordering  of  them.  For  us  to  select  one  mode  of  guid- 
ance, rejecting  all  others,  is  a  species  of  dictation  that 
can  only  be  attended  by  Divine  disapproval." 

The  popularity  of  the  Quarterly  grew  steadilj^  from  the 
first,  and  it  was,  we  believe,  self-supporting.  He  was 
often  importuned  to  make  it  a  monthly,  as  people  could 


AUTHOR  AND  EDITOR.  83 

hardly  wait  so  long  as  three  months  at  a  time  to  hear 
from  him.  But  he  never  would  undertake  what  he  could 
not  reasonably  hope  to  perform ;  and  what  he  did  at  all 
he  must  do  well;  and  as  he  made  no  attempt  to  chronicle 
the  news,  he  concluded  that  with  the  toils  and  journeys 
of  evangelism,  the  duties  of  home  and  pastoral  work,  he 
should  not  attempt  to  publish  it  more  frequently.  We 
do  not  know  what  presentiment  he  may  have  had,  or  what 
leadings  God  vouchsafed  to  him,  but  we  can  see  now  more 
plainly  than  at  the  time,  the  wisdom  in  his  laying  down 
the  editorial  pen  when  he  did,  against  the  wish  and  en- 
treaty of  many  of  his  best  friends.  Doubtless  his  work 
in  this  line  was  finished.  Five  years  of  the  labor  of  love 
have  been  compiled  into  a  large  volume  of  six  hundred 
pages,  every  line  of  which  is  most  readable  and  profitable 
matter,  and  will  be  treasured  by  those  fortunate  enough 
to  possess  it  in  this  permanent  form. 

In  the  year  1892  Brother  UpdegrafF  was  constrained  to 
compile  a  number  of  his  sermons  and  addresses,  together 
with  some  hitherto  unpublished  matter  into  book  form. 
This  book  he  styled  "  Old  Corn,"  from  the  opening  ser- 
mon, which  is  based  upon  this  text:  ''And  the  manna 
ceased  on  the  morrow  after  they  had  eaten  of  the  old  corn  of 
the  landy — ^Joshua  5  :  12. 

The  volume  is,  for  the  most  part,  a  treatise  upon  the 
subject  of  Christian  Holiness,  and  should  be  in  the  library 
of  every  minister  and  in  the  hands  of  every  soul  deeply 
interested  in  subjective  Christianity. 

It  seemed  so  providential  that  he  compiled  and  pub- 
lished the  work  just  when  he  did.  Coming,  as  it  does, 
near  the  end  of  his  race,  it  gives  us  his  maturest  thought 
and  the  rich  products  of  his  wide  and  varied  experience. 
Had  he  deferred  it  a  3^ear,  we  fear  it  would  never  have 


84  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

been  completed,  on  account  of  his  failing  health  and 
strength.  As  it  is,  he  was  permitted  to  feed  this  "  Corn  " 
to  the  hungry  yet  awhile  ere  he  left  them,  and  seed  sow- 
ers have  it  to  grow  successive  crops  as  the  years  go  by. 

Many  of  them  are  doing  this  in  a  measure.  Indeed, 
we  heard  of  one  brother  who  sowed  his  w^hole  patch  down 
to  this  grain  on  one  occasion.  It  was  a  Friends'  minis- 
ter; visiting  in  one  of  our  large  eastern  cities,  he  preached 
on  first  day  most  acceptably,  to  one  of  the  old,  conserva- 
tive meetings.  He  was  much  favored.  And  when  meet- 
ing broke,  friends  took  him  by  the  hand  and  told  him  what 
unity  they  felt  with  his  message,  and  how  it  had  blessed 
them.  "Yes,"  he  replied  in  much  simplicity  of  soul, 
'  *  I  thought  thee  would  like  it.  I  found  it  in  David 
UpdegrafF's  '  Old  Corn,'  and  liked  it  so  much  that  I  con- 
cluded to  crib  it  in  my  memory  and  share  it  with  thee." 

Brother  UpdegrafF  also  issued  sundry  tracts  and  other 
small  publications,  which  proved  like  "leaves  of  healing 
to  many."  His  booklet  on  the  "  Ordinances  "  is  a  valu- 
able publication,  especially  to  Friends  and  those  interested 
in  the  discussion  of  that  subject,  and  in  his  true  attitude. 
But  we  think  that  it  is  now  out  of  press,  and  copies  of 
it  are  becoming  rare. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

THE    EXEMPLARY    HUSBAND    AND    FATHER. 

"  For  if  a  man  know  not  how  to  rule  his  own  home,  how  shall 
he  take  care  of  the  church  of  God."— I.  Tim.  3 :  5. 


UT    W 
1      h 


is  the  remark  we  sometimes  hear  in  regard  to 
some  one  prominent  in  public  work  and  niinistr}^  There 
may  be  an  implication  intended  by  such,  based,  perhaps, 
upon  the  personal  failures  of  those  making  it,  or  upon  a 
suspicion  against  the  man  and  minister  in  question,  or, 
possibly,  upon  a  general  uyibelief  in  the  poiver  of  grace  to 
enable  one  to  live  right  tmder  all  circumstances.  But 
w^hatever  it  ma}^  be,  it  was  always  a  great  privilege  and 
blessing  to  step  into  the  home  of  our  beloved  David,  and 
especially  when  permitted  to  tarry  there  for  a  while. 

Nor  was  this  difficult;  for  the  doors  of  this  home  always 
swu7ig  wide  open  to  welcome  those  who  came  in  the  Lord's 
name.  One  is  struck  at  a  glance  with  the  fact  that  the 
house  itself  was  built  for  comfort  and  for  substantiality. 
He  built  it  some  years  before  merging  out  into  the  Lord's 
work.  Right  in  the  midst  of  the  scenes  of  his  earliest 
childhood,  and  among  the  friends  of  his  forefathers,  his 
home  life  has  stood  as  a  coynmentary  upon  the  every-day^ 
practical  re ligioji  which  he  preached  there  and  abroad. 

These  are  the  traits  w^hich  conspicuously  characterized 


(8d) 


86  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  ^.  VPDBGRAFP. 

his  life  at  home — AfEectionateness,  Cheerfulness,  Helpful- 
ness, Providence,  Good  Management,  Hospitality,  and 
Devoutness. 

We  mention  Devoutness  last  for  the  reason  that  while 
a  fragrance  of  prayer  and  praise  might  be  noticed 
throughout  the  whole  house,  and  w^hile  religion  was  the 
uppermost  thing  here,  as  well  as  elsewhere,  with  him, 
yet  there  was  no  cant,  no  legalism,  no  oppressive  ob- 
trusion of  religious  subjects,  or  of  the  religious  side 
of  all  subjects,  but  a  natural,  ofttimes  playful,  partic- 
ipation in  the  affairs  of  life,  and  a  sympathetic  interest 
in  each  and  every  one  of  the  household,  and  in  every- 
thing pertaining  to  the  least  of  them.  A  child  has  lost 
her  watch.  No  reprimand  chokes  the  sympathy  he  feels 
and  shows.  No  discouraging  view  as  to  the  prospect  of 
finding  it,  but  a  *  *  never  mind,  darling,  look  at  it  philo- 
sophically, consider  how  much  pleasure  j^ou  have  had  out 
of  it  already,  and  how  much  worse  it  might  have  been," 
etc.  The  child  feels  at  once  that  she  has  what  is  better 
than  a  watch.     She  has  a  friend  in  her  own  "dear  papa." 

We  could  scarcely  attempt  to  describe  the  Affectionate- 
ness  of  this  home.  The  rugged  side  of  his  character 
seems  now  to  have  become  a  mighty  oak,  upon  which 
tender  vines  were  welcomed  to  climb  and  to  cling,  and  to 
find  shelter  in  its  shade.  How  easily  an  endearing  ex- 
pression came  to  his  lips!  How  authority  and  reproof 
are  all  modulated  and  sweetened  by  kindness  and  tender- 
ness !  All  could  feel  that  it  was  hard  for  him  to  say 
"  No"  to  a  request.  And  when  he  must  administer  re- 
proof or  rebuke,  it  was  evident  that  it  pained  him  quite 
as  much  as  the  one  rebuked.  He  had  and  he  manifested 
much  confidence  in  all  that  were  about  him.  There  was 
no  suspiciousness,  no  inordinate  watching  of  others.     His 


EXEMPLAR  y  H  USB  AMD  AMD  EA  TMEk.        67 

heart  so  sweetly  rested  in  the  love  and  obedience  of  those 
he  loved,  that  the  highest  type  of  honor  and  self-reliance 
was  fostered  in  them. 

And  though  bearing  burdens  for  others  continually,  his 
spirit  was  so  cheerful  as  never  to  seem  burdened,  or  to 
burden  others.  Not  much  of  a  singer  (for  he  said  he  in- 
herited a  Quaker  throat),  yet  ofttimes  in  the  early  morn- 
ing his  voice  might  be  heard  as  a  happy  call-bell  for 
others,  as  he  sang,  * 'Arise,  my  soul,  arise,"  or  some 
other  of  his  favorite  couplets.  As  the  day  progressed,  he 
would  brighten  the  paths  of  others  with  his  smiles,  his 
ready  humor,  his  own  light-heartedness,  and  perhaps  in 
giving  vent  to  ejaculations  of  praise,  as  in  the  little 
chorus  he  often  hummed  or  sang : 

"  Praise  the  Ivord,  O  my  soul." 

We  have  sometimes  heard  it  hinted  that  very  spiritual 
and  devout  men  are  poor  business  men  and  bad  manag- 
ers. (This  may  be  so  with  some  of  them,  and  if  so,  it 
must  be  something  else  besides  their  spirituality  or  de- 
voutness  that  is  to  be  blamed  for  it.)  But  David  Upde- 
graff  was  certainly  no  illustration  to  prove  such  a  charge. 
He  was  a  good,  judicious,  provident,  and  successful  man- 
ager and  executive.  Planning,  devising,  and  providing 
for  the  affairs  of  his  household,  and  in  a  helpful,  broth- 
erly, neighborly,  friendly  way  doing  much  in  these  direc- 
tions for  others  as  well.  He  was  a  wise  counselor,  a 
good  example,  a  man  of  few  words  and  of  decided  action 
in  business  matters.  And  a  man,  too,  who  kept  temporal 
matters  so  subordinate  as  to  never  allow  them  to  break 
his  peace  or  his  peace  with  others,  or  to  absorb  an  inordi- 
nate proportion  of  his  time  and  attention. 

But  at  one  other  point  (already  alluded  to)  we  must 


88  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

speak  of  his  home  life.  His  Hospitality  was  so  marked,  so 
free,  so  generous,  so  hearty  and  unfeigned,  and  so  thor- 
oughly Christian.  Those  doors  were  always  wide  open 
in  "Quarterly  Meeting"  time  and  at  the  "Yearly  Meet- 
ing "  vSeason.  His  cordial  good- will  would  strain  every 
part  of  the  capacious  home  to  its  utmost  tension.  Nor 
were  these  occasions  simply  of  physical  feasting,  or  of 
social  chit-chat.  He  was  ever  on  the  alert  to  minister 
spiritual  things  to  those  who  came.  The  floor  of  his 
study  often  became  the  mourners'  bench  or  the  altar  of 
consecration.  Ministers  point  to  his  home  as  the  "  upper 
room  "  where  they  obtained  "  power  from. on  high."  All 
went  away  better  than  they  came. 

In  all  of  this  he  was  much  aided  by  the  dear  compan- 
ion whom  God  had  given  him  for  this  nearly  a  quarter  of 
a  century  of  ministerial  work.  Here,  indeed,  let  us  in- 
terject, was  another  marked  illustration  of  the  power  of 
grace  in  his  home  life.  That  was  the  beautiful  blending 
of  his  appreciation  for  a  former  companion  whom  God 
had  taken  home  at  about  the  beginning  of  his  public  life, 
and  his  attachment  for  this  helpmeet  whom  Providence 
had  given  to  aid  in  the  rearing  of  his  motherless  children, 
and  to  be  the  companion  of  his  evangelistic  days.  Every 
one  of  the  four  children  of  his  first  marriage  have  gone 
out  into  life  with  much  of  the  natural  force  of  character 
which  distinguished  their  father,  and  with  many  of  the 
influences  of  the  blessed  Christian  home  lingering  about 
their  paths.  We  covet  yet  the  joy  of  seeing  or  hearing 
some  of  these  children  take  up  the  standard  that  their 
father  carried  so  long  and  so  well,  and  ably  pushing  the 
battle  of  Holiness  unto  the  Lord. 

In  infinite  mercy  God  blessed  him  with  this  companion 
who  (b}^  what  seems  to  some  of  us  almost  a  miracle)  sur- 


EXEMPLARY  HUSBAND  AND  FATHER.         89 

vives  him.  She,  too,  was  a  resident  and  a  native  of  this 
quiet,  select  town  of  Mount  Pleasant  For  fifty  years 
her  father  was  the  pastor  of  the  Presbyterian  church 
there.  She  brought  to  his  aid  a  most  loving  heart,  a 
strongly  religious  character  and  training,  good  intellect- 
ual powers,  well  furnished  with  a  good  education.  She 
suffered,  as  some  of  the  letters  may  indicate,  at  the  be- 
ginning of  his  evangelistic  work,  but  she  faithfully  stood 
at  her  post,  until  a  broadening,  deepening  light  and  the 
fullness  of  Christian  liberty  made  it  more  and  more  a  de- 
light to  do  so.  How  he  loved  her  !  How  he  appreciated 
her !  How  he  would  speak  to  us  of  her  as  fondly  as 
young  lovers  think  of  one  another !  How  his  heart 
broke,  when  for  two  or  three  years  it  seemed  that  she 
must  leave  him  !  But  prayer  and  faith  and  skill  some- 
how prevailed,  so  that  she  had  the  loving  privilege  of 
ministering  to  her  dear  David  in  his  dying  hours,  and* 
lives  to  cherish  his  memory  and  anticipate  their  re- 
union. 

They,  too,  have  had  four  children — three  daughters 
and  one  son,  all  so  passionately  devoted  to  their  father 
that  but  for  the  supporting  grace  of  God  they  could  scarce 
have  borne  his  departure.  But  it  is  a  pleasure  to  record 
that  they  are  all  acquainted  with  the  secret  of  his  tri- 
umphant life.  And  blessed  as  they  are  with  a  share  of 
his  gifts,  and  with  the  legacy  of  his  holy  example  and 
memory  to  stimulate  them,  we  expect  that  they  will, 
every  one,  build  monuments  to  his  name  in  the  reflection 
and  the  propagation  of  such  truth  and  such  love  as  they 
witnessed  in  him. 

We  have  coveted  for  our  readers  a  further  glimpse  into 

the  sacredness  of  this  sweet  domain,  and  so  have  gained 

access  to  a  few  of  the  home  letters,  which  would  come 
7 


90  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

from  the  battlefield  while    he  was  out  on  duty  for  the 
Master. 


(Extract  of  a  letter  written  to  Eliza  Mitchell — afterward 
Mrs.  Updegralf — at  the  time  of  his  conversion) : 

**  Wonders  are  abroad  in  our  community,  and  if  I  do 
not  mistake,  there  is  a  work  of  good,  of  usefulness  and 
love  for  you  and  all  of  us  to  do.  Who  would  wear  a  star- 
less crown,  or  be  content  with  merely  entering  heaven; 
when  work  is  to  be  done  and  laborers  are  few,  and  every 
gathered  soul  is  a  star  in  the  '  crown  of  our  rejoicing,' — 
and  again  we  know  that  as  the  '  angels  differ, '  so  will  the 
ken  of  gifted  spirits  glorify  Him  more. ' ' 

Prophetic. 

II. 

(Extract  from  a  letter  written  to  Sister  Updegraff  in 
1869,  when  his  evangelistic  work  began) : 

"That  you  are  well  and  happy,  I  thank  my  Master 
and  onr  Father,  and  though  I  long  to  see  you  with  3^earn- 
ing  love,  yet  I  feel  that  I  am  about  His  business,  and  do 
know  by  the  assurance  of  faith  that  He  will  keep  yon,  and 
that  '  all  tilings  work  together  for  good '  to  us  because  we 
love  Him. 

* '  Bless  the  dear  children  !  I  pray  that  our  Savior  will 
be  so  near  to  them  as  to  keep  them  good, — and  I 
do  trust  Him  fully  to  bless  us  darling.     I  know  He  will. 

* '  I  had  this  morning  a  sweet  season  of  wrestling  with 
our  God  and  Father  for  your  peace  and  joy  in  the  Holy 
Ghost, — and  He  wdll  grant  it,  and  thus  knit  our  souls 
together  as  well  as  our  hearts.  None  but  He  can  blend 
our  souls  in  perfect  accord,  so  that  our  wills  may  be  swal- 
lowed up  in  His.     *  He  working  in  us  to  will  and  do  of 


EXEMPLARY  HUSBAND  AND  FATHER.         91 

His  good  pleasure.'     The  Lord  keep  and  bless  you  every 
one.     His  arms  be  around  you.     More  than  ever  thine 
own  loving  husband  and  your  most  loving  father." 
Another  home  letter  a  little  later : 

III. 

"  I  do  hope  and  pray  that  thee  and  they  may  be  kept 
by  the  power  and  love  of  Jesus,  and  I  am  sure  that  thy 
work  and  labor  of  love  will  be  accounted  as  to  the  Lord. 
I  can't  tell  how  fervently  I  commend  you  to  Him  contin- 
ually. He  is  blessing  me  here  in  His  work,  and  giving 
me  great  place  with  the  people,  and  many  souls. 

"It  seems  long  since  I  saw  you  all,  but  I  don't  dare 
turn  toward  home  lest  I  should  shrink  from  my  duty  to 
our  dear  Lord.  I  keep  well,  and  there  are  many  souls  to 
be  saved  and  helped,  and  if  it  seems  hard  now,  precious 
wife,  to  be  separated,  I  am  sure  that  in  the  sweet  by  and 
by  w^e  shall  be  glad,  and  rejoice  evermore  that  we  had  the 
courage  and  self-denial  to  endure,  as  seeing  Jesus,  and 
the  time  hastens.     May  the  dear  Lord  sanctify  it  to  us." 

Other  letters  in  this,  the  morning  of  his  public  work: 

IV. 

'  *  I  want  to  drop  you  a  line  to  tell  you  of  my  safety 
and  health,  of  my  deep  love  and  continued  remembrance 
and  solicitude  for  you  all,  my  precious  ones.  My  heav- 
enly Father  is  unspeakably  good  and  gracious  to  me,  and 
to  us  all,  is  He  not,  dearest?  For  which  do  let  us  be  de- 
voutly thankful,  and  so,  as  we  recount  our  mercies,  and 
dwell  on  our  blessings  through  Christ  our  Savior,  we  are 
"brought  nigh  by  His  blood,"  and  can  7'ejoice  in  His 
presence.  I  surely  love  the  world  well  as  I  ought  for 
myself,  and  am  as  ambitious  of  its  comforts  and  enjoy- 


92  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

ments  as  I  dare  be,  and  yet  I  am  sure  they  are  as  noth- 
ing '  but  as  dross  and  dung  '  compared  with  the  '  excel- 
lency of  the  knowledge  of  Christ. '  And  w^ould  we  not 
rather  resign  the  former  than  lose  the  latter?  But 
blessed  be  God,  He  does  not  demand  this  at  our  hands, 
so  far  as  we  know,— only  willing,  obedient  hearts. 
But  I  did  not  mean  to  preach, — only  a  line  of  love  to 
my  sweet  treasures  at  home  (of  whom  thou  art  the  crown, 
my  precious  wafe).  May  the  Lord  be  very  near  to  every 
one  of  you.  I  must  now  stop,  though  my  love  and  solic- 
itude and  prayer  for  you  are  only  half  told." 


"  I  do  trust  and  pray  that  the  dear  Lord  will  comfort, 
keep,  and  bless  you  all.  Absence  would  be  intolerable  if 
I  could  not  believe  that  all  things  would  '  work  together 
for  good,'  and  that  our  dear  Lord  would  take  care  of  you, 
my  dearest  earthly  treasures. 

*'  I  am  in  first-rate  health,  and  not  working  too  hard  ; 
so  don't  be  uneasy;  but  it  will  be  sweet  to  get  home, — 
kind  and  good  as  friends  are  to  me,  '  there's  no  place  like 
home.'     In  tender  and  abiding  love  to  every  one." 

VI. 

"  Meeting  is  large  and  very  dead,  but  I  pray  the  Lord 
that  w^e  may  have  a  raising  of  dry  bones  j^/  in  this  valley. 
I  am  well  and  shall  rejoice  when  the  moment  comes  for 
me  to  fly  toward  home.  I  never  more  fully  realized  that 
it  is  not  my  own  pleasure  I  am  seeking — that  I  can  most 
fully  find  at  my  own  dear  home,  with  the  darling  wife  and 
children  which  God  has  so  graciously  given  me.  May 
He  bless  and  keep  you  all  in  safety  is  my  often  prayer — 
I  leave  you  in  Jesus'  care.     Pray  for  me." 


EXEMPLARY  HUSBAND  AND  FATHER.         93 

VII. 
"  I  am  quite  well  and  the  people  are  so  kind,  but  they 
will  not  spoil  me,  darling,  for  ''Jesus  saves  me."  It  has 
been  pretty  hard  work  for  a  few  days  just  because  every- 
body's eyes  were  upon  me  and  so  confident  it  would  have 
to  go  anyhow,  that  they  were  not  humble — but  the  power 
is  just  beginning  to  be  felt;  and  I  can't  bear  to  see  Israel 
defeated  before  Ai,  and  thus  cause  a  shout  in  Satan's 
camp,  and  I  feel  so  sure  that  for  my  sake  thee  w^ould  say 
'  wait  a  little,'  that  I  think  most  likely  I  would  not  drop 
it  so  as  to  get  home  just  at  the  time  mentioned  in  my 
last.    God  will  bless  us,  and  I  won't  run.    Pray  for  me." 

VIII. 

' '  This  is  the  day  I  expected  to  start  home,  but  know 
if  thee  was  here,  thee  would  say,  '  not  j^et,'  for  however 
it  may  be  I  am  sure  thee  wants  to  see  victory  for  God, 
and  it  is  just  turning  to  His  side.  Yesterday  was  one  of 
power,  and  last  night  I  found  great  liberty.  Praise  Jesus! 
Over  one  hundred  have  come  to  the  altar  and  the  work 
is  only  starting. 

"  I  am  quite  well,  but  it  is  cold  and  I  feel  keenly  the  ab- 
sence of  home  comforts  and  loves,  and  think  I  shall  come 
flying  as  soon  as  God  wills,  for  I  so  long  to  see  you  all. 
I  am  committing  you  to  God  moment  by  moment,  and 
must  trust  Him  to  keep  you." 

IX. 

* '  I  send  this  note  to  say  how  I  love  you  all  and  long  to 
see  you,  and  God  willing,  it  will  be  soon,  though  not  Just 
yet.  The  Lord  has  blessed  us  here  and  I  cannot  go  with- 
out an  attempt  to  gather  a  few  more  sheaves.  Such  op- 
portunities to  lay  up  riches  in  Heaven  do  not  often  occur, 


94  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

and  the  Lord  is  good  to  me  in  stilling  the  loving  emotions 
of  my  soul  toward  yo\x  all.  Pray  for  me  and  be  patient, 
and  we  will  always  be  glad  in  eternity,  I  am  sure.  With 
undying  love  and  devotion, 

*'  Your  husband  and  father." 

X. 

[This  was  written  after  a  friend's  funeral.] 
' '  A  solemn  and  good  meeting  and  then  we  consigned 
dust  to  dust.  I  am  thinking  about  you,  my  precious  ones, 
very  much.  How  sweetly  w^e  are  spared  to  praise  and 
honor  God  as  a  united  family.  But  I  feel  so  weak  and 
unworthy.  It  is  my  constant  anxiety  to  be  wise  and 
faithfid  as  a  husband  and  a  father  as  well  as  every  other 
way.  The  great  thing,  after  all,  is  to  be  ready  to  go 
to  another  world.  It  is  a  critical  thing  to  get  safely 
through  and  out  of  this  world.  My  heart  longs  for  home 
and  its  precious  treasures.  I  can  only  trust  that  the  dear 
Lord  is  keeping  you,  and  that  the  '  angel  of  the  Lord  is 
camping  round  about  you,'  and  this  trust  keeps  my 
otherwise  anxious  heart  restful.  Dearly  as  I  love  you, 
Jesus  loves  3^ou  more  and  will  fold  you  in  His  arms  con- 
tinually. ' ' 

We  conclude  this  chapter  with  a  Greeting  he  received 
on  the  occasion  of  his  sixtieth  birthday,  speaking  the  sen- 
timents, doubtless,  of  all  his  children,  in  words  penned 
by  Mrs.  Laura  Updegrafif  (wife  of  his  son  William). 

A   BIRTHDAY   GREETING   TO   OUR    FATHER.. 

The  finished  Hves  of  the  sons  of  men 
Are  measured  to  threescore  5'ears  and  ten  ; 
And  we  mark  how  softl}^  the  webs  are  spun, 
As  we  think  to-day  you  are  sixty-one. 


EXEMPLARY  HUSBAND  AND  FATHER.        95 

"  Threescore  and  ten."     How  long  it  seemed, 
When  your  "mother  looked  at  her  boy  and  dreamed; 
While  you  played  out  in  the  morning  sun, 
Without  the  sixty  years — only  one. 

But  the  feet  she  prayed  might  be  brave  and  strong. 
Have  come  the  threefold  scores  along ; 
And  much  has  been  passed,  and  much  begun. 
As  you  counted  the  years  to  sixty-one. 

There  has  been  much  toil,  a  little  rest ; 
The  yielding  often  of  what  seemed  best. 
But  double  blessings  are  surely  won. 
When  the  hands  "  withhold  not "  at  sixty-one. 

The  fields  you  have  faithfully,  prayerfully  sown. 
Perhaps  in  the  "  hundred  fold  "  have  blown  ; 
Or  perhaps  are  with  tares  and  weeds  o'errun, 
As  you  turn  to  see  them  at  sixty-one. 

Perhaps  the  grain  that  was  only  spilled, 

Has  returned  in  the  sheaf  and  the  ear  well  filled, 

And  perhaps  you  see  that  the  best  was  done, 

As  the  light  is  clearer  at  sixty-one. 

For  many  shall  reap  whom  you  never  knew, 
The  harvest  in  ways  you  have  journeyed  through. 
And  paths  on  the  mountain  upward  run. 
Fairer  and  wider  from  sixty-one. 

So,  whether  be  toil,  or  whether  be  rest. 
We  pray  the  future  may  fully  be  blest ; 
And  the  light  of  a  day  that  is  never  done, 
Grow  brighter  and  brighter  from  sixty-one. 

—  W.  and  L. 
Springfield,  Mo.,  Aug.  23,  1891. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

HIS   BAPTISM. 

» 

"  See,  here  is  water,  what  doth  hinder  ? " — Acts  8  :  36. 

TO  many  Christians  this  event  would  not  be  sufficiently 
significant  to  call  for  special  notice;  but  when  it 
is  remembered  that  the  society,  or  church,  with  which 
Brother  Updegraff  was  identified,  has,  for  many  years 
past,  fallen  into  almost  general  disuse  of  this  ordinance, 
so  that  it  has  become  very  generally  known  that  the 
Quakers  do  not  baptize  or  partake  of  the  Lord's  Supper, 
it  looms  up  at  once  into  a  matter  of  more  than  ordinary 
interest  and  unportance  that  this  true  and  loyal  Friend 
and  able  minister  of  the  New  Testament  felt  it  at  length 
obligatory  upon  him  to  imitate  his  Master  in  thus  fulfill- 
ing all  righteousness. 

It  is  evident  that  he  did  not  do  so  because  he  regarded 
it  as  a  saving  ordinance,  for  he  had  been  for  some  time 
in  the  enjoyment  of  salvation,  free  and  full,  before  sub- 
mitting to  it.  It  is  also  evident  that  he  had  no  desire  or 
design  to  institute  a  revolution  upon  this  subject  in  his 
church;  for  his  public  mention  of  it,  which  was  very  rare, 
was  for  the  most  part  explanatory  and  defensive  of  his 
individual  course,  and  never  aggressive,  excepting,  as  we 
notice  elsewhere,  when  he  championed  the  battle,  not  of 
Christian  ordinances,  but  of  Christian  Tolerance. 


HIS  BAPTISM.  97 

Though  he  was  immersed,  it  is  clear  that  this  was 
from  no  conviction  concerning  any  one  mode  of  baptism 
as  against  another;  for,  subsequently,  in  ministering  bap- 
tism to  others,  as  he  was  sometimes  importuned  to  do,  he 
practiced  the  sprinkling  or  pouring  mode.  That  his  bap- 
tism was  delayed  as  long  as  it  was  is  easily  understood  by 
recollecting  his  environment,  his  traditional  predisposition 
the  other  way,  his  disinclination  to  provoke  controversy, 
and  his  habitual  course  of  trying  "the  spirits,  whether 
the  are  of  God."  But  conviction  strengthened  with  in- 
creasing light,  and  he  at  length  felt  that  longer  delay 
would  be  a  violation  of  conscience.  He  was  baptized  in 
the  least  ostentatious  manner  possible,  thus  showing  that 
he  sought  to  obey,  rather  his  private  conscience,  than  to 
effect  any  public  sentiment,  and  that  he  laid  no  stress 
upon  the  objective  or  pictorial  effect  of  baptism  on  the 
minds  of  others.  It  was  just  his  duty  to  fulfill  all  right- 
eousness, and  he  did  so.  The  following  account  of  the 
affair  from  Rev.  Edgar  Levy,  who  administered  the  rite, 
will  interest  our  readers  : 

'  *  My  association  with  Brother  Updegraff  has  been  of  a 
peculiar  character.  In  the  providence  of  God  I  was  per- 
mitted to  render  him  a  service,  which,  under  the  circum- 
stances, w^as  both  unusual  and  interesting.  I  have  not 
spoken  of  it  often.     Shall  I  mention  it  now  ? 

'*  While  pastor  of  the  Berean  church,  Philadelphia,  I 
was  in  the  habit  every  year  during  "  Quaker  week,"  as  it 
was  called,  of  inviting  Brother  Updegraff  and  Dr.  Dougan 
Clark  to  preach  for  my  people.  On  the  occasion  of  his 
first  visit  he  came  in  time  to  take  tea  with  me.  He  had  no 
sooner  entered  the  parsonage  than  he  said,  '  I  would  like 
to  see  thy  church.'  I  accompanied  him  through  the  yard 
into  the  church  by  the  rear  door.    We  ascended  the  stairs, 


98  MEMOIR  OF  DA  VID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

and  soon  stood  upon  the  pulpit  steps.  I  said,  '  Brother 
Updegraff ,  stand  where  you  are,  and  I  will  show  a  Quaker 
our  arrangement  for  baptizing.'  Behind  the  stained-glass 
window  I  moved  the  machinery  by  which  the  baptistry 
was  noiselessly  uncovered.  When  I  returned,  he  was 
standing  with  folded  arms,  gazing  into  the  open  font. 
The  light  of  the  declining  day,  with  softened  beauty,  was 
shimmering  upon  the  water.  The  sanctuary  was  im- 
pressively silent.  Nothing  but  the  ticking  of  the  clock 
could  be  heard.  I  stood  near  to  him,  neither  of  us  speak- 
ing for  several  minutes.  I  saw  that  he  was  in  deep  and 
earnest  meditation,  and  I  determined  not  to  disturb  him. 
At  last  he  broke  the  silence  by  saying,  '  See,  here  is  water, 
what  hinders  me  from  being  baptized  ?  '  I  answered,  '  If 
thou  believest  with  all  thine  heart,  thou  mayest.'  He  re- 
plied, '  I  believe  that  Jcvsus  is  the  Christ.  I  have  been 
baptized  with  the  Holy  Ghost,  but  never  with  water.  I 
have  greatly  desired  to  submit  to  this  outward  ordinance 
instituted  by  my  blessed  Lord.'  '  When,'  said  I,  *  shall 
it  be?'  He  answered,  'Now.'  We  at  once  retired  to  the 
robing-room,  and  in  a  few  minutes  we  returned,  prepared 
for  the  solemn  service.  We  knelt  together  in  the  chancel. 
I  shall  never  forget  his  prayer,  so  tender,  so  childlike,  so 
humble,  and  loving.  Then  with  only  God  and  the  an- 
gels as  spectators,  I  baptized  him  into  the  '  Name  of  Fa- 
ther, Son,  and  Holy  Ghost.' 

"  Notwithstanding  he  thus  received  the  ordinance  of 
baptism,  he  continued  a  member  of  the  Society  of 
Friends.  His  soul  could  not,  however,  be  confined  to 
the  little  circle  of  any  one  denomination.  He  belonged 
to  the  church  catholic.  He  once  said  in  a  great  public 
meeting,  *  I  was  born  a  Quaker,  received  converting 
grace  among  that  people,  experienced  entire  sanctifica- 


HIS  BAPTISM.  99 

tion  among  the  Methodists,  married  a  Presbyterian,  and 
was  baptized  by  a  Baptist  minister.  You  can  judge  what 
kind  of  a  Christian  all  this  has  made  me.'  He  belonged, 
indeed,  to  us  all.  The  whole  body  of  believers  was  made 
rich  by  his  able  ministry  and  his  heroic  life.  God  be 
praised  for  giving  us  such  a  friend,  whose  memory  will 
always  be  fragrant." 

Let  it  be  distinctly  understood  that  he  did  not  by  any 
means  (as  some  might  suppose,  and  a  few  have  charged) 
strain  his  loyalty  or  violate  any  of  his  obligations  to  his 
own  church  in  thus  following  the  example  of  Jesus  in 
submitting  to  be  baptized. 

The  way  the  Quakers  came  to  favor  diszise  of  the  ordi- 
nances was  this : 

In  the  days  of  Fox  and  Barclay  there  was  scarcely  a 
religious  denomination  of  importance  that  did  not  regard 
the  ordinances  in  themselves  procuring  means  of  grace. 
Baptism  was  believed  to  regenerate,  and  the  Lord's  Sup- 
per to  convey  to  the  partaker  in  an  actual  or  spiritual 
sense,  the  body  and  blood  of  Christ.  Sacramental  de- 
pendence had  largely  taken  the  place  of  faith  in  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ  for  salvation.  "  Unspiritual  and  even 
superstitious  additions  had  been  made  to  the  simple  and 
spiritual  teachings  of  the  New  Testament  in  these  things." 
(Isaac  Brown.)  The  Christian  church  greatly  needed  an 
emphatic  utterance  of  the  fundamental  truth  that  Christ, 
*'the  true  bread  from  heaven,"  is  our  life,  and  that  the 
soul's  union  with  Him  is  immediate,  through  the  Spirit, 
and  not  through  the  mediation  of  any  outward  form,  ob- 
servance, or  priesthood.  It  needed  to  be  distinctly  taught 
that  Jesus  is  the  great  Baptizer,  and  that  the  baptism 
which  now  saves  is  that  of  the  Holy  Ghost;  that  com- 
munion with  God   is  not  dependent  upon    any  human 


100  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

form,  or  limited  to  appointed  seasons,  but  that  the  true 
feeding  upon  tlie  body  and  blood  of  Christ  is  inward  and 
spiritual,  and  should  be  an  unbroken  experience. 

Fox  and  his  coadjutors  flamed  forth  into  the  midst  of 
that  formal  and  realistic  period,  on  fire  with  an  aggres- 
sive zeal  for  a  pure  Christianity,  and  outspoken  witnesses 
to  heart  holiness  and  the  fullness  of  the  Spirit.  In  so 
doing  they  abandoned,  not  only  the  abuse,  but  the  use  of 
the  rites  of  Baptism  and  the  Lord's  Supper.  They  rea- 
soned that  the  New  Covenant  admitted  of  neither  type 
nor  symbol;  that  it  was  spiritual  and  experimental  in  op- 
position to  the  Old  Covenant,  which  was  outward  and  cere- 
monial. They  regarded  Baptism  and  the  Supper  as  an 
outgrowth  of  Judaism,  permitted  and  used  during  the 
formative  period  of  the  early  church,  but  not  divinely  in- 
stituted or  of  permanent  obligation.  But  we  look  in  vain 
for  any  manifestation  of  that  hostility  toward  a  simple 
memorial  observance  of  these  rites,  which  have  charac- 
terized modern  Quakerism.-  Their  fight  was  against  rit- 
ualism, and  beyond  that  they  had  no  controversy.  In  a 
paper  issued  by  William  Penn  and  three  of  his  friends  we 
find  the  position  stated  as  follows  :  "  We  believe  (in)  the 
necessity  of  the  one  baptism  of  Christ  as  well  as  of  His 
own  Supper,  v^hich  He  promiseth  to  eat  with  those  who 
open  the  door  of  their  hearts  to  Him,  being  the  Bap- 
tism and  Supper  signified  by  the  outward  signs,  which 

THOUGH  WK  DISUSE,  WE  JUDGE  NOT  THOSE  THAT  CON- 
SCIENTIOUSLY PRACTICE  THEM." 

Isaac  Brown,  an  English  writer  of  much  ability,  in  a 
defense  of  the  Quaker  view  of  the  Lord's  Supper,  says 
in  conclusion:  "  Had  the  partaking  of  the  Supper  been 
observed  two  hundred  j^ears  ago  in  the  way  in  which  we 
find  it  was  practiced  by  the  apostolic  churches,  sitting 


HIS  BAPTISM.  101 

down  together  to  a  feast  of  love,  without  distinction  of 
rank  or  wealth  or  condition  in  life,  remembering  together 
the  d)dng  love  of  their  Lord,  and  thus  comforting  and 
encouraging  one  another;  calling  to  mind  that  He  died 
alike  for  all;  that  the  salvation  of  every  soul  among 
them,  whatever  his  circumstances  in  life  might  be,  was 
equally  precious  in  His  sight;  that  Christ  alone  was  their 
Master,  and  all  they  coequal  brethren,  there  would  prob- 
ably have  been,* on  the  part  of  early  Friends,  no  protest 
against  it.  Whilst  believing  themselves  to  be  called  upon 
to  behold  distinctively  the  essential  spirituality  of  the  Gos- 
pel— that  is,  that  religion  now  consists,  not  of  shadows 
and  forms,  and  rites,  but  of  heartfelt  realities — and  re- 
garding such  a  ceremony  as  non-essential  Christian  prac- 
tice, they  would,  neverteless,  have  considered  it  as  wdthin 
the  limits  of  Gospel  liberty."  This  is,  beyond  question, 
a  fair  statement  of  the  original  position  of  the  Friends' 
church,  and  is  much  the  same  as  that  of  the  Salvation 
Army  of  to-day.  But  it  is  also  true  that  nineteenth 
century  QuakerivSm  has  so  far  receded  from  its  early  po- 
sition that  these  limits  of  Gospel  liberty  have  narrowed 
down  to  an  almost  invisible  point.  Not  that  we  are  more 
intolerant  on  the  ordinances  than  other  churches,  but  that 
we  have  a  right  to  expect  the  P>iends'  church  to  be 
much  more  tolerant  in  view  of  the  prominence  it  has  al- 
ways, theoretically,  given  to  the  rights  of  conscience. 

The  ground  that  belonged  by  bihcritance  to  every  Quaker 
had  beeji  alienated  by  sectarianis?n,  and  had  to  be  retaken 
in  a  conflict  that  profnised  to  be  long  and  severe.  In  this 
conflict,  as  already  stated,  David  B.  Updegraff  was  the 
providential  leader. 

In  all  periods  of  Quaker  history  there  have  been  in- 
stances of  individuals  w^ho  could  not  accept  the  views  of 


102  MEMOIR  OF  DA  VID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

the  majority  on  this  question,  and  these,  to  avoid  giving 
trouble,  have  gradually  withdrawn  from  the  church.  So 
far  as  the  present  writer  is  aware,  there  has  never  been 
any  discipline  which  rendered  the  partaking  of  the  ordi- 
nances a  disownable  offense;  but  by  consent  of  the  major- 
ity it  has  been  regarded  as  a  violation  of  "  Friends'  prin- 
ciples," and  disownments  have  occurred,  I  believe,  for  this 
reason  only. 

In  the  early  years  of  his  ministry  Brother  Updegraff 
became  convinced,  by  a  diligent  study  of  the  Holy  Scipt- 
ures,  that  the  ordinance  of  Christian  Baptism  was  insti- 
tuted by  the  Lord  Jesus  Himself,  and  intended  to  be  per- 
petuated in  His  Church  as  an  outward  rite  of  admission 
into  the  fold,  and  as  a  symbol  of  the  washing  of  regener- 
ation, pointing  to  the  remission  of  sins  and  to  the  new 
birth.  In  like  manner,  he  regarded  the  Lord's  Supper 
as  a  thing  to  be  rightly  and  properly  observed  as  a  me- 
morial of  the  death  of  his  dear  Redeemer.  In  accordance 
with  these  convictions  he  was  baptized  several  j^ears  ago, 
and  afterward  continued  to  partake  of  the  Communion  as 
opportunity  offered  during  his  lifetime.  To  neither  of 
these  ordinances  did  he  ever  attribute  any  saving  efficacy. 
Most  emphatically  did  he  say;  "  It  is  absurd  to  suppose 
that  there  is  anything  in  a  riter  Their  observance  was 
to  him  simply  an  act  of  obedience  to  w^hat  he  believed  to 
have  been  commanded  by  the  Head  of  the  Church. 

In  the  meantime,  through  his  annointed  ministry  on 
the  doctrine  of  Holiness,  hundreds,  if  not  thousands  of 
Friends  had  been  led  into  the  experience  of  Sanctification. 
As  a  preliminary  condition  they  had  made  an  all-inclu- 
sive consecration.  They  had  submitted  themselves  to 
the  will  of  God  w^ithout  questions  as  to  what  the}^  might 
be  led  out  of  or  into.     The  Bible  in  their  hands  was  now 


HIS  BAPTISM.  103 

read  with  new  eyes,  and  traditional  belieis  were  submit- 
ted to  its  teachings  as  ultimate  authority.  Not  to  the 
early  Friends,  but  "  to  the  law  and  the  testimony"  was 
the  watchword,  and  it  soon  began  to  appear  that  one 
here  and  another  there  was  unable  to  accept  the  Quaker 
view  of  the  ordinances.  One  of  this  class,  who  was  at 
this  time  just  entering  upon  evangelistic  work,  says,  in 
reference  to  it:  "Then  came  the  question  of  practical 
obedience,  and  it  was  the  closest  test  of  our  consecration 
that  had  ever  come  to  us.  To  go  forward  seemed  to  in- 
volve, in  our  church  relations,  the  loss  of  all  things;  to 
disobe}^,  was  to  forfeit  all  we  had  gained,  and  to  give  the 
lie  to  the  consecration  we  had  professed.  The  issue  was 
not  introduced  by  any  man.  It  was  forced  upon  us  by 
experimental  conditions." 

But  to  the  conservative  Friend,  a  concession  on  this 
point  to  the  degree  of  tolerance  for  the  practice  of  the 
ordinances,  was  tantamount  to  giving  up  our  identity  as 
a  people.  Mere  ecclesiasticism  seemed  to  have  the  argu- 
ment 071  its  side.  Hedged  in  on  either  hand,  men  anc^ 
women  of  burdened  consciences  stood  waiting,  as  before 
a  pathless  sea,  for  God  to  open  a  way.  Under  the  Holi- 
ness revival  one  venerated  but  outgrown  usage  after 
another  had  been  set  aside,  perversions  of  truth  had  been 
corrected,  rigidity  had  given  place  to  elasticity,  and  it 
looked  as  though  the  old-time  liberty  of  the  Spirit  might 
be  restored;  and  now  we  were  suddenly  precipitated  into 
the  last  ditch  of  Quaker  traditionalism.  It  was  the  strong- 
est intrenchment  of  ecclesiastical  intolerance  that  had  yet 
been  encountered,  and  the  outlook  was  unpromising,  but 
Brother  Updegraff  raised  the  standard  of  '  *  fidelity  to 
Christ  "  and  led  on  the  attack.  Like  a  veritable  Wink- 
lereid,  he  threw  himself  into  the  issue  to  "make  way 


104  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.  UPDEGRAFF- 

for  liberty."  From  first  to  last,  it  was  not  a  question  of 
ordinances,  but  of  liberty  of  conscience.  Neither  he  nor 
any  one  else  claimed  that  the  observance  of  an  ordinance 
was  vital  to  the  life  of  the  soul,  but  he  did  insist  that 
obedience  was  vital,  and  that  the  right  to  obey  God  in 
this  matter  must  be  won.  The  basis  of  Christian  toler- 
ance was  accepted  by  David  B.  Updegraff  and  his  sympa- 
thizers, as  defined  in  Romans  XIV.,  and  as  announced 
by  our  spiritual  forefathers  in  the  faith.  Clearly,  those 
who  observe  Baptism  and  the  Lord's  Supper  solely  on  the 
ground  of  obedience  to  what  they  conscientiously  believe 
to  be  a  command  of  God,  and  not  as  in  themselves  effica- 
cious, are  in  harmony  with  the  main  principle  underlying 
Friends'  belief  on  this  question,  and  are  entitled  to  tol- 
erance. We  repeat,  on  this  point,  and  not  on  that,  of 
the  ordinances  per  se,  was  the  battle  waged. 

Events  just  alluded  to  will  inform  many  of  our  readers, 
perhaps  for  the  first  time,  that  David  Updegraff  was  called 
upon  to  suffer,  and  that,  too,  at  the  hands  of  the  Israel 
he  loved  dearer  than  life,  for  the  liberty  of  conscience  he 
exercised  and  contended  for,  as  the  right  of  every  man. 
This  will  occasion  a  double  surprise,  for  David  never  pa- 
raded his  sufferings  abroad,  and  all  have  somehow  re- 
garded the  Friends'  Church  as  in  the  vanguard  for  freedom 
and  for  conscience. 

But  degenerate  churchism  always  tends  tow^ards  papacy 
and  the  inquisition,  no  matter  how  simple  the  form  of 
church  government  may  be.  To  view  the  attitude  which 
some  assumed  towards  Brother  Updegraff  on  account  of 
his  baptism,  and  which  is  now  occupied  towards  one  of 
the  writers  of  this  book,  one  on  the  outside  would  think 
that  the  fight  of  Quakerism  was  against  the  ordinances 
of  Baptism  and  of  the  Lord's  Supper  ;  that  "  the  princi- 


HIS  BAPTISM.  105 

palities  and  powers  ' '  against  whom  they  are  called  to 
wage  war,  are  found  ^>^  the  water  or  at  the  commimion 
table.  But  to  the  memory  of  loyal,  faithful  David  Up- 
degraff ,  who  was  a  truly  consistent  Friend,  be  it  recorded 
here  that  this  is  a  travesty  on  Quakerism,  even  as  papacy 
is  on  Christianity. 

Those  are  neither  true  nor  representative  Friends — it 
matters  not  what  officialism  or  officiousness  the}^  may  as- 
sume— who  take  ground  against  the  ordinances  and  those 
whose  consciences  impel  them  to  use  them,  more  arbi- 
trary or  absolute  than  that  occupied  by  Fox  or  Penn  or 
Barclay,  which  ground  was  freedom  of  disuse  and  not  in- 
tolerajice  of  use. 

It  should  be  published,  as  a  legitimate  part  of  this 
memoir,  both  as  a  tribute  to  the  judicious  love  of  David 
UpdegrafE  and  as  an  evidence  of  the  blessings  which  en- 
sue to  a  church  whose  walls  are  cemented  with  tolerance 
rather  than  braced  by  cast-iron  decrees ;  I  say  it  should 
be  known  that  in  the  Friends'  church  at  Mount  Pleasant, 
Ohio  (where  David  lived  and  ministered  these  twenty- 
five  years)  that  no  schism  of  any  kind  has  ever  occurred 
on  account  of  this  position  he  occupied;  nor  in  the  Ohio 
Yearly  Meeting.  Neither  have  there  been  factions,  and 
cliques,  and  parties  developed.  Many  have  never  been 
baptized;  numbers  have.  Many  do  not  commune  at  the 
Lord's  table;  some  do.  But  every  one  respects  the  con- 
science and  liberty  of  the  other.  No  one  is  proselyted, 
nor  are  any  ostracised.  There  is  no  "  wet  "  and  "  dry  " 
caste  among  them.  This  liberty  they  enjoy  and  this  love 
they  evidence,  let  it  not  be  forgotten,  cost  their  now  as- 
cended brother  and  leader  some  bonds  and  some  ^ well, 
some  things  that  were  not  so  loving. 

8 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

A   CHAMPION    OF   TOI.KRANCE,  BUT   NOT  A 
RKVOI.UTIONIST. 

"  Where  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  is  there  is  liberty,"— II.  Cor.  3  :  17. 

THE  writer  was  intimately  associated  with  Brother 
Updegraff  for  a  number  of  years,  and  labored  with 
him  both  in  meetings  intended  mainly  for  the  Friends, 
and  in  meetings  of  an  interdenominational  character;  and 
he  has  never  once  heard  him  preach  a  sermon  or  de- 
liver an  address  upon  the  subject  of  the  Ordinances,  or 
seek  in  any  way  to  obtrude  it  upon  others.  But  how 
easy  it  is  for  those  who  are  blinded  by  prejudice,  and  hot 
with  bigotry,  to  misunderstand  and  misinterpret  the  min- 
istry of  a  man  of  God.  We  think  that  we  would  do 
neither  his  memory  nor  his  mission  justice,  if  we  neg- 
lected to  state  his  true  position  upon  this  subject,  or 
shunned  to  record  that  for  this  position  he  wore  no  little 
odium  and  bore  no  little  persecution.  Yet,  who  ever 
heard  him  publish  either  the  odium  or  the  persecution  ? 
Like  his  Master,  "he  committed  himself  to  Him  that 
judgeth  righteously,"  and  went  patiently  and  earnestly 
on,  leaving  it  to  others  to  tell  that  he  paid  some  tribute 
to  ecclesiastical  biogtry  for  the  privilege  he  sought,  of 
ministering  liberty  unto  his  people. 

Like  Paul,  his  "heart's  desire  and  prayer  to  God  for 
Israel  (was)  that  they  might  be  saved."     And  like  Paul, 


A  CHAMPION  OP  TOLERANCE.  107 

he  suffered  from  his  own  countrymen,  more  than  from 
others.  A  biography  that  has  no  allusion  to  sufferings 
for  truth  and  conscience'  sake  lacks  an  essential  Gospel 
mark,  and  opens  the  way  to  suspicion  that  the  subject  of 
the  narrative  lacked  fidelity  and  sought  popularity,  as  so 
many  seem  to  do  in  our  times.  Not  so  with  David.  That 
woe  will  never  be  recorded  against  him  which  is  pro- 
nounced on  them  of  whom  all  men  speak  well.  Nay,  he 
came  nearer  the  blessing  promised  to  those  who  suffer 
persecution,  and  are  cast  out  of  the  synagogue  for  His 
name's  sake.  We  have  known  his  name  to  be  handed 
down  and  passed  along  as  evil — and  that  not  by  world- 
lings, but  by  churchmen  —when  no  man  could  lay  aught 
against  his  character,  conduct,  or  teachings,  unless  it  be 
by  false  accusation,  or  garbled  misrepresentation.  We 
have  seen  this  man — mighty  as  to  ability,  and  mightier 
yet  as  to  grace  and  goodness — relegated  to  a  back  seat, 
debarred  from  any  public  ministry,  and  his  presence 
scarcely  endured  in  a  Yearly  Meeting  of  a  church  of 
which  he  was  at  the  time  (in  another  Yearly  Meeting)  a 
dul}'  accredited  minister  without  a  blot  against  him,  and 
wdth,  perhaps,  more  souls  saved  as  the  result  of  his  min- 
istry, than  had  been  added  to  the  church  by  evangelical 
means,  in  that  w^hole  Yearly  Meeting  during  the  genera- 
tion in  which  he  lived. 

You  ask,  "Why  this  ostracism,  this  persecution?" 
and  ''  How  could  it  be  possible  that  a  church  wdth  so 
little  apparent  creed-bondage,  or  ecclesiastical  hierarchy, 
could  inflict  such  severe  scourgings  upon  an  able  minis- 
ter of  the  New  Testament?  " 

Perhaps  you  allow  more  than  facts  will  warrant,  in  this 
last  question.  But  be  that  as  it  may,  it  is  certain  that 
however  simple  a  church  organization  may  be,  its  spirit- 


108  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.  UPDEGAFF. 

ual  decline  will  always  be  marked  by  something  resem- 
bling the  condition  of  the  Sanhedrim  among  the  Jews  at 
the  time  of  Christ.  Ecclesiastical  intolerance  is  the  product 
of  church  apostasy  ;  and  spiritual  liberty  is  the  aggressive 
foe  of  this  intolerance.  Right  here  is  the  explanation  of 
anything  and  everything  that  David  Updegraif  suffered 
in  his  church.  To  deny  or  to  conceal  the  apostasy,  is  to 
leave  a  great  wrong  at  some  innocent  door.  David  Upde- 
graff  was  neither  a  reformer,  a  revolutionist,  nor  an  an- 
archist. 

But  he  was,  in  the  highest  sense,  a  free  man.  One  of 
his  favorite  texts  was,  * '  The  law  of  the  Spirit  of  life  in 
Christ  Jesus  hath  made  me  free  from  the  law  of  sin  and 
death."  His  liberty  was  not  licentiousness,  but  it  was 
deliverance  from  legalism.  He  was  bound  neither  to  the 
body  of  sin  and  death,  nor  to  traditions,  usages,  or  prej- 
udices, w^hich  have  no  Scriptural  sanction  nor  any  evan- 
gelizing tendency.  He  abhorred  cant,  and  every  imita- 
tion of  religion.  He  believed  and  demonstrated  that 
supernatural  grace  would  make  a  man  natural  in  his 
moods,  manners,  and  ministr3\  But  particularly  and 
preeminently  would  he  insist  upon  i^iberty  of  con- 
science; and  for  this  freedom,  and  for  the  promulgation 
of  such  libert}^  he  suffered.  Had  he  sought  to  foist  the 
Ordinances  in  his  church,  perhaps  he  might  have  been 
less  excusable  in  the  e3^es  of  some  who  believe  that  a 
church  can  exist  without  these  Ordinances.  But  he  evi- 
dently felt  no  call  to  this,  nor  did  he,  as  w^e  have  said, 
manifest  his  zeal  in  this  direction.  He  had,  however^ 
enlightenment  of  personal  conscience  upon  the  subject  of 
Baptism  and  the  Lord's  Supper.  Enlightenment  that 
reached  the  point  of  conviction,  so  that  to  have  disobeyed 
would  have  been  to  not  only  violate  his  own  conscience 


A  CHAMPION  OF  TOLERANCE.  109 

and  the  word  of  God  as  it  was  opened  to  him,  but  also  to 
violate  a  fundamental  principle  of  the  Friends,  which  is, 
obedience  to  God's  voice  in  the  "inner  light." 

At  the  time  of  his  baptism  it  required  a  strong  man 
and  a  hero  to  open  the  way.  What  tears  and  prayers 
and  concern  may  have  preceded  this  step,  we  can  never 
know,  for  he  sought  God  secretly,  and  was  rewarded 
openly.  No  doubt  a  special  anointing  of  courage  was 
granted  him  for  this  purpose;  no  doubt,  either,  that  this 
courage  was  meant  of  God  to  be  used  in  opening  the  way 
for  other  weaker  and  less  aggressive  souls,  who,  never- 
theless, reached  conscientious  convictions  upon  this  sub- 
ject. Mark  !  he  never  declared,  we  think,  that  his  Soci- 
ety should,  as  a  church,  adopt  the  Ordinances,  but  he 
maintained  that  the  original  position  and  the  character- 
istic spirit  of  his  Society  did  not  deny  the  Ordinances  to 
those  who  felt  in  duty  bound  to  accept  them. 

This  position  he  meekly  but  mightily  maintained  in  a 
debate  sprung  upon  him  in  his  own  Yearly  Meeting,  for 
which  God  had  specially  prepared  him.  His  address 
upon  this  occasion  has  been  published  in  booklet  form, 
and  w^e  submit  that  no  fair-minded  Friend  has  fully  can- 
vassed the  position  of  his  church  upon  this  matter,  until 
he  has  given  the  subject  of  that  remarkable  address  care- 
ful consideration.  At  the  time  they  could  not  resist  the 
wisdom  and  power  with  which  he  spoke,  but  arose,  and, 
with  one  mind  and  one  voice,  glorified  God  in  a  doxology 
of  praise.  From  then  on,  though  of  course  there  still  re- 
mained individual  dissenters,  his  position  was  understood 
and  maintained,  and  he  was  held  in  life-long  respect  and 
honor  in  his  own  Meeting.  There  is  not  one  of  these 
Friends  but  would  rebuke  as  an  injustice  to  the  man,  and 
a  belittling  of  his  memory,  the  implication  that  he  sought 


110  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

to  obtrude  the  Ordinances  in  the  church.  His  was  a 
higher,  nobler  mission  than  this.  He  contended  for  lib- 
erty, and  blessed  be  God!  many  will  say*  they  found 
their  liberty  through  his  labors.  Perhaps  the  most  strin- 
gent Friend  will  claim  no  more  against  the  Ordinances 
than  that  they  are  non-essentials.  Put  them  upon  that 
base,  and  was  this  man  at  variance  with  the  Friend's 
church  in  claiming  for  non-essentials  liberty? 

We  would  have  been  so  glad  if  we  had  had  it  to  record 
that  his  victory  in  this  battle  for  Tolerance  had  been 
general  and  complete.  Perhaps  this  would  have  been  too 
much  to  expect,  though  it  would  have  been  so  desirable. 
Much  land  has  been  possessed.  Many  Friends  are  en- 
joying a  liberty  to  which  they  were  strangers  twenty-five 
years  ago.  A  higher  type  of  spiritual  liberty  and  a  more 
aggressive  evangelism  characterize  the  church  in  many 
places  than  could  be  found  before  this  man  was  set  in 
motion  of  God. 

Two  things  have  been  demonstrated  by  this,  upon 
which  some  good  persons  are  pessimistic.  First,  that  it 
is  possible  for  a  church  which  has  declined  to  be  revived, 
and  that  spirituality  does  not  multiply  sects.  SecoJid, 
that  a  Friend  who  is  led  by  the  Spirit  to  freedom  of  con- 
science and  deliverance  from  sin,  need  not  go  out  of  the 
church  to  enjoy  it,  if  he  is  willing,  like  David  Updegraflf, 
to  pay  the  price  of  staying  in  the  church,  wdiere  such 
liberty  and  testimony  thereto  are  so  much  needed. 

He  was  called,  we  think,  to  inaugurate  a  work  in  this 
direction  rather  than  to  complete  it.  It  remains  for  those 
who  have  obtained  like  precious  victory  to  carry  on  the 
peaceful  fight.  That  some  land  remains  yet  to  be  pos- 
sessed, will  appear,  we  think,  b}^  the  perusal  of  the  fol- 
lowing set  of    questions  and  answers  which  bear   date 


A  CHAMPION  OF  TOLERANCE.  HI 

since  the  death  and  burial  of  this  Joshua.  Let  no  one 
mistake  it  for  a  relic  of  the  days  of  the  inquisition,  nor  as 
issuing  from  the  Vatican.  It  is  veritably  a  product  of 
the  year  of  our  Lord  1894,  and  of  an  ecclesiastical  body 
of  the  Quaker  church.  We  append  it  without  further 
note  or  comment : 

Before  submitting  samples  of  Existing  Intolerance 
IN  THE  Church,  let  us  note  a  few  general  points  of  the 
subject  which  should  be  carefully  observed. 

First.  If  the  premises  we  have  taken  are  tenable, 
then  careful  distinction  should  be  made  between  the  in- 
tolerance of  degenerate  ecclesiasticism,  and  a  proper  and 
just  ecclesiastical  government  itself.  Many  make  the 
mistake  of  warring  against  the  WTong  thing,  and  hence 
develope  an  intolerant  abusiveness  of  church  authori- 
ties which  is  anarchial  in  its  spirit. 

Second.  Let  none  suppose  that  a  war  upon  even  in- 
tolerance itself  is  the  chief  thing  in  hand.  Not  so.  In 
fact,  it  does  not  require  any  holiness  particularly,  to  carry 
on  a  tirade  against  monarchs  and  monarchial  tendencies 
as  they  rise  in  church  government.  But  our  main  battle 
is  the  battle  of  holiness,  which  is  purity,  liberty,  and 
power.  Now,  the  advancement  of  these  principles  of  life 
and  freedom  is  bound  to  encounter  the  intolerant  spirit 
which  may  have  grown  up  with  years  of  spiritual  de- 
cline (though  perhaps  accompanied  by  numerical  progress) 
in  the  church.  The  battle  with  Intolerance  is  simply  an 
incident  in  the  war  for  God  and  Holiness.  Nor  should  it 
be  fought  with  carnal  w^eapons,  nor  for  selfish  ends.  We 
believe  that  David  UpdegrafE  fought  this  fight  for  others, 
rather  than  for  himself.  It  was  not  that  he  chafed  under 
unjust  restriction  or  animadversion  (for  God  and  he  could 
make  a  place  for  himself)  but  the  onward  march  of  HoU- 


112  MEMOIR  OF  DA  VID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

ness  needs  some  to  bear  testimony  against  those  things 
in  the  cojiditioji  of  the  church,  which  hamper  the  Spirit's 
liberty,  and  unjustly  restrain  the  liberties  of  God's  chil- 
dren. 

Third.  It  would  be  an  unrighteous  blunder  if  the  ini^ 
pression  were  made  that  this  Intolerance  is  confined  to 
the  Friends'  church,  or  that  it  prevails  there  more  than 
in  some  other  churches.  We  think  the  reverse  of  this  is 
true.  We  know  that  in  many  things,  in  that  church  there 
is  a  liberty  accorded  beyond  what  is  granted  in  some 
other  churches.  And  we  think  that  in  some  of  the  other 
churches  there  is,  upon  other  points,  an  intolerance  man- 
ifested in  excess  of  that  which  is  found  here.  It  is  only 
as  the  aggressive  work  of  Holiness  is  carried  on  that 
these  things  appear  upon  the  surface.  It  is  amazing  how 
many  men  and  ministers  are  both  slaves  and  tyrants,  un- 
suspected by  themselves,  until  the  conviction  of  Holiness 
reveals  it  unto  them. 

We  might  cite  instances  where  the  Episcopalians  have 
proscribed  ministers  of  any  other  church  than  their  own 
from  occupying  their  pulpits;  where  Presbyterians,  though 
combining  in  a  union  meeting,  have  refused  to  participate 
when  the  Methodist  "  altar  "  was  introduced;  where  Bap- 
tists have  deposed  ministers  and  expelled  members  for 
witnessing  to  Holiness. 

We  might  allude  to  many  cases  where  persons  have 
been  debarred  from  privileges  and  from  promotions  be- 
cause of  their  fidelity  to  conscience  in  matters  concern- 
ing the  prohibition  of  the  liquor  traffic,  and  this  some- 
times, too,  in  churches  and  church  endowed  colleges. 
But  to  keep  within  bounds,  and  to  give  none  but  authen- 
ticated facts,  and  to  give  illustrations  which  come  pretty 
closely  within  our  own  family  range,  we  submit — 


A  CHAMPION  OF  TOLERANCE.  113 


A  WRONG   INTERPRETATION   OF   A    BAD    LAW. 

(We  gather  from  an  editorial  in  the  Tennessee  Metho- 
dist, with  the  above  caption,  some  things  which  should 
be  known;  painful  as  they  are  to  read,  and  more  painful 
to  believe,  of  what  is  being  said  and  done  in  the  M.  E. 
Church  South.  Such,  although  confined  to  a  somewhat 
limited  locality,  will,  unless  arrested,  give  encouragement 
to  similar  occurrences  in  other  places,  and  if  so,  the  inev- 
itable is  not  far  off.— Editor  Way  of  Faith.) 

"  The  last  General  Conferance,  in  paragraph  120  of  the 
New  Discipline,  gave  us  a  new  law,  which,  in  substance, 
places  presiding  elders  in  charge  of  all  stations  and  cir- 
cuits, if  the  right  interpretation  of  it  has  been  made  by 
Presiding  Elder  Sawyer,  of  New  Orleans,  who  is  backed 
up  in  his  interpretation  by  Bishop  Keener.  Preachers  in 
charge  are  now  no  longer  preachers  in  charge  of  stations 
and  circuits,  but  they  are  in  charge  of  presiding  elders 
and  bishops,  who,  according  to  the  new  law,  are  not  only 
in  charge  of  the  preachers,  but  of  the  stations  and  circuits 
also. 

"If  the  following  be  true,  we  have  a  case  in  point.  It 
is  alleged  that  Rev.  S.  F.  Parker,  pastor  of  Dryades  St. 
M.  E.  Church  South,  New  Orleans,  agreed  to  open  the 
doors  of  his  church  to  a  Brother  Methodist  preacher,  ex- 
tending a  cordial  welcome  to  him,  and  praying  God's 
blessing  upon  him;  that  he  received  a  letter  from  his 
presiding  elder.  Rev.  John  T.  Sawyer,  saying  he  had 
learned  that  it  was  his  intention  to  allow  his  church  to  be 
used  for  the  Carradine  meeting,  and  calling  his  attention 
to  paragraph  120  of  the  New  Discipline  ;  saying  that  under 


114  MEMOIR  OF  DA  VID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

that  paragraph  he  had  the  authority  to  say  what  meetings 
could  be  held  in  the  church,  and  what  not,  and  for  him  to 
say  to  the  ^'second  blessing''  people  that  they  could  not  have 
the  use  of  the  Dryades  street  church.  He  went  on  to  say, 
further,  that  he  had  consulted  with  Bishop  Keener,  and 
that  the  Bishop  upheld  him  in  his  interpretation  of  the 
law,  and  that  the  responsibility  rested  upon  the  presiding 
elder.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Parker  wrote  the  presiding  elder, 
protesting  against  his  action  in  the  matter,  but  to  no  pur- 
pose, and  he  was  forced  to  deny  the  brethren  access  to  his 
pulpit  a7id  church . 

"  It  is  further  alleged  that,  shortly  after  the  foregoing 
incident,  the  Rev.  Robert  Wynn,  of  Parker  Chapel,  called 
Rev.  W.  W.  Drake,  of  Crowley,  Louisiana,  to  assist  in 
a  protracted  meeting.  Brother  Drake  came  and  had 
preached  two  or  three  nights,  when  Presiding  Elder  Saw- 
yer went  up  to  the  church  to  hear  him,  and  on  that  occa- 
sion Rev.  Drake  preached  a  sanctification  sermon,  and 
invited  believers  to  the  altar,  he  himself  being  in  the  ex- 
perience. Rev.  Sawyer  being  called  upon  to  pray,  with 
one  believer  at  the  altar,  kept  the  congregation  on  their 
knees  for  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes  while  he  preached  a 
sermon  against  sanctification,  using  much  ridicule  and 
sarcasm,  killing  the  spirit  of  the  meeting,  and  creating 
much  disgust  towards  himself.  The  next  day  he  wrote  a 
note  to  pastor  Wynn,  sayirig  how  grieved  he  was  to  see  the 
doctrine  preached,  and  that  he  must  stop  it.  Pastor  Wynn 
paid  no  attention  to  the  presiding  elder's  letter,  and  the 
meetings  went  on  the  second  week,  when  Brother  Wynn 
received  a  second  letter  from  Presiding  Elder  Sawyer,  iyi- 
forming  him  that  he  was  guilty  of  insubordi7iatio7t  afid 
likely  to  have  his  character  challe^iged  at  the  next  annual 


A  CHAMPION  OF  TOLERANCE.  115 

Confereyice^  and  demanding  that  he  close  the  meetings  at 
once. 

"Presiding  Elder  Sawyer  has  even  gone  further  and 
written  to  Rev.  Ceeville,  of  Covington,  Louisiana,  who  is 
also  in  the  New  Orleans  district,  that  he  must  not  preach 
sa7ictificatio?i  in  his  pulpit,  and  7iot  have  any  holi?iess  evan- 
gelists or  preachers  do  so. 

"The  Rev.  T.  K.  Fauntleroy,  pastor  of  the  Felicity 
Street  M.  E.  Church  South,  had  been  attending  the  Car- 
radine  meetings,  and  being  under  conviction,  sought  and 
received  the  blessing  of  entire  sanctification;  whereupon 
our  Brother  Sawyer  resorted  to  his  pen  again,  and  wrote 
to  this  pastor  that  he  hears  that  he  has  professed  the  sec- 
ond blessing,  and  that  he  is  not  to  have  any  holiness 
meetings  in  his  church;  that  sanctification  is  not  the 
doctrine  of  the  M.  E.  Church  South,  and  cannot  be 
preached." 

All  the  above  and  foregoing  is  given  over  the  signature 
of  a  New  Orleans  Methodist. 

Now,  I  know  and  love  both  Drs.  Carradine  and  Sawyer. 
It  is  not  my  purpose  to  discuss  sanctification  as  taught  by 
Dr.  Carradine,  but  the  law  as  administered  by  Brother 
Sawyer.  If  the  law  is  rightly  interpreted  by  Bishop 
Keener  and  Presiding  Elder  Sawyer,  then  it  is  a  bad  law, 
and  the  young  Democracy  of  the  Methodist  church  will 
not  suffer  that  law  enforced  now,  and  will  see  that  it  is 
repealed  at  the  next  General  Conference.  There  are 
limits  and  boundary  lines  beyond  which  bishops  and  pre- 
siding elders  cannot  go.  Bishop  Vincent,  of  the  North- 
ern Methodist  church,  is  quoted  as  saying  that  the  grave 
perils  of  Methodism  are,  "the  unlimited  power  of  the 
higher  officials  of  the  church,  the  ability  of  the  presiding 


116         MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.  UPDEGRAFF- 

elders  to  remove  men  for  their  opinions,  the  power  of 
rich  men  in  influencing  appointments,  "and  so  on. 

This  new  law,  as  interpreted  by  Bishop  Keener  and 
Presiding  Elder  Sawyer,  virtually  puts  ten  bishops  in 
charge  of  the  fifteen  thousand  church  organizations  within 
the  bounds  of  the  M.  E.  Church  South.  A  pastor  in 
charge  is  7io  longer  a  pastor  hi  charge,  but  simply  a  year- 
ling calf  staked  out  in  the  back  yard  and  tied  to  a  peg, 
to  be  removed  or  put  back  in  the  lot,  at  the  will  of  the 
presiding  elder. 

The  rank  and  file  of  the  ministry  of  the  M.  E.  Church 
South,  and  the  laity  of  that  church  will  not  submit  to 
any  such  law,  if  it  has  been  rightly  interpreted  in  the 
cases  before  us. 

I  am  credibly  informed  that  a  presiding  elder  in  the 
Tennessee  Conference  was  asked  if  Dr.  Carradine  was 
coming  into  his  district,   and  he  replied:    **  He  has  an 

appointment  to  begin  at ,  but  I  hope  he  will  never 

get  there ;  I  hope  the  train  will  run  off  the  track  and  kill 
him."  He  has  forbidden  the  preachers  in  his  district  in- 
viting a  holiness  preacher  of  the  district  to  preach  in  their 
pulpits. 

A  preacher  visiting  the  district  conference  of  this  pre- 
siding elder,  was  notified  by  the  preacher  in  charge  that 
he  was  expected  to  preach  one  night.  The  presiding  elder 
forbade  the  visiting  brother  to  preach  unless  he  would 
promise  him  he  would  7ieither  preach  oji  holiness  nor  refer 
to  it  in  his  sermon. 


II. 


(In  justice  to  Brother  Clark  it  ought  to  be  stated  that 
he  is  by  no  means  responsible  for  this  insertion.     But  we 


A  CHAMPION  OF  TOLERANCE.  Il7 

take  the  liberty  for  three  reasons.  1.  It  gives  the  reader 
an  exact  and  clear  view  of  the  kind  of  battle  David  Up- 
degraff  had  to  fight.  2.  It  shows  the  friends  of  holiness 
and  liberty  the  present  status  of  the  warfare.  3.  It  fur- 
nishes in  Brother  Clark's  replies  a  beautiful  and  manful 
exhibition  of  the  Perfect  Love  which  bound  him  and  Da- 
vid so  closely  together,  and  both  so  closely  to  the  cause 
of  freedom.) 

PROPOSITIONS   SUBMITTED   TO    DR.  DOUGAN  CLARK  TO 
SIGN. 

By  a  sub-committee  of  six,  out  of  a  committee  of  twelve 
appointed  in  his  case  by  the  preparative  meeting  of  minis- 
ters a7id  elders  of  Whitewater  monthly  meeting. 

To   Whitewater  Preparative  Meeting  of  Ministers  and 

Elders  : 

1.  Dear  Friends— I  sincerely  regret  the  pain  and  con- 
cern I  have  caused  my  friends,  and  am  sorry  for  the 
perplexity  and  embarrassment  I  have  Occasioned  the  church 
in  submitting  to  the  rite  of  baptism  with  water,  contrary 
to  the  views  of  Friends  and  the  definite  enactments  of 
Indiana  Yearly  Meeting;  and  it  may  be  I  was  mistaken 
in  my  apprehension  of  duty  on  that  occasion. 

2.  As  I  do  not  regard  baptism  with  water  as  in  any- 
wise essential  to  salvation,  I  promise  that  I  will  not,  pub- 
licly or  privately,  orally  or  in  writing,  preach,  teach,  or 
in  conversation,  or  in  anywise  encourage  others  in  the 
use  of  baptism  with  water,  either  as  a  memorial  service, 
or  as  a  command  of  Christ. 

3.  In  writing  the  memorial  of  David  B.  Updegraff  I 
have  avoided  and  will  avoid  the  expression  of  any  views 
of  my  own  not  in  harmony  with  the  Declaration  of  Faith 
of  Indiana  Yearly  Meeting. 


118  MEMOIR  OF  DAVTD  B   UPDEGRAFF. 

4.  I  desire  to  retract  the  assertion  that  one  purpose 
I  had  in  being  baptized  was  to  bear  testimony  against  the 
intolerance  of  Friends. 

"Richmond,  Indiana,  12,  27,  '94. 
*  *  To  the  Committee  of  Six  and  also  the  Committee  of  Twelve  : 

"  Dear  Friends — I  address  this  communication  to  both 
Committees  because  I  understand  that  both  have  sanc^ 
tioned  the  propositions  which  were  presented  to  me  yes- 
terday by  the  Committee  of  Six.  These  propositions  are 
four  in  number.  I  must  respectfully  and  lovingly  de- 
cline to  sign  any  one  of  the  four. 

*  *  To  sign  the  first  would  be  to  recant  all  my  con\4ctions 
and  my  action  in  reference  to  baptism  with  water,  and  also 
to  prove  recreant  to  the  time-honored  Quaker  doctrine, 
and  the  still  older  Scripture  doctrine  of  the  guidance  of  the 
Holy  Spirit.  I  am  only  a  fallible  human  being,  but  I 
trust  I  am  not  mistaken  in  believing  that  I  was  led  of  the 
Spirit  as  to  the  time,  the  place,  and  the  manner  of  my 
baptism.  I  am  indeed  sorry  that  '  pain  and  concern,  and 
perplexity  and  embarrassment  '  should  arise  in  a  church 
of  Christ  because  a  member  of  such  church  acts  in  accord 
with  his  conscientious  convictions.  There  is  a  Christi- 
anit}^  which  made  the  church  and  is  greater  than  the 
church.  This  is  the  Christianity  of  the  Bible,  and  it  is 
this  which  I  plead  for.  There  is  also  a  Christianity  which 
the  church  has  made,  and  which,  age  after  age,  tends  to 
'  make  the  commandments  of  God  of  none  effect  by  its 
traditions,'  and  which  'teaches  for  doctrines  the  com- 
mandments of  men.'  From  this  form  of  the  Christian 
religion  may  the  X,ord  preserve  us  as  individuals,  and 
preserve  also  our  beloved  church.  Friends  have  always 
been  prominent  in  advocating  the  spiritualit}^  of  the  Gos- 


A  CHAMPION  OF  TOLERANCE,  119 

pel  dispensation  and  freedom  of  conscience  for  each  indi- 
vidual on  all  non-essential  points,  on  which  there  may 
be  a  different  view  within  the  church— and  liberty  of  con- 
science also,  against  all  opposition  from  without,  as  re- 
gards both  essentials  and  non-essentials — and  they  have 
maintained  this  liberty,  both  before  civil  and  ecclesiasti- 
cal tribunals,  often  through  great  suffering,  and  in  some 
instances  unto  death.  God  forbid  that  we,  as  a  church, 
should  go  back  on  our  own  record.  Loyalty  to  the  church 
is  much  commended  in  our  day,  and  justly  so;  but  it  is 
very  easy  to  allow  loyalty  to  the  church  to  take  prece- 
dence of  loyalty  to  Christ,  or  to  make  our  loyalty  to 
the  church  the  measure  of  our  loyalty  to  Christ.  For 
myself,  I  cannot  value  highly  any  loyalty  to  the  church 
which  is  not  based  upon  loyalty  to  Christ,  w^ho  is  the 
Head  of  the  church.  Loyalty  to  the  church  is  good,  but 
loyalty  to  Christ  is  better.  The  church  is  simply  an  out- 
ward and  visible  organization,  designed  to  promote  on 
earth  the  inward  and  spiritual  kingdom  of  Christ.  And 
it  has  been  well  said  by  a  recent  writer,  that  'church 
history  shows  that  very  many  times  the  visible  church 
has  been  the  greatest  obstacle  to  the  progress  of  the  king- 
dom of  God. '  In  all  probability  the  Quaker  church  would 
never  have  had  an  existence  at  all  if  the  Church  of  En- 
gland, in  the  seventeenth  century — and  many  of  the  dis- 
senting bodies  as  well— had  not  been  on  a  very  low  plane 
of  spirituality  and  Christian  experience.  I  believe,  there- 
fore, in  loyalty  to  the  church  just  as  far  as  the  church 
is  loyal  to  its  risen  Head.  I  do  not  believe  in  loyalty  to 
ecclesiasticism,  nor  denominationalism,  nor  sectarianism. 
And  I  desire,  with  all  the  influence  I  possess,  to  promote 
the  spirituality,  not  only  of  the  Friends'  church,  but  of 
all  the  churches,  and  thus  to  hasten  the  day  when  the 


120  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.  tJPDEGRAFF. 

prayer  of  the  blessed  Savior  may  be  answered  :  *  That  they 
all  may  be  one.' 

"I  could  not  sign  the  second  proposition,  because  Jesus 
says  that  after  making  disciples  we  are  to  '  teach  them 
to  observe  all  things  w^hatsoever  I  have  commanded  you.' 
Jesus  says  teach — you  say  I  must  not  teach  in  any  way 
whatever  on  the  subject  of  Christian  baptism,  *  either 
as  a  memorial  service  or  as  a  command  of  Christ.' 
'  Whether  it  be  right  in  the  sight  of  God  to  hearken 
unto  you  more  than  unto  God,  judge  ye.'  But  do  not 
misunderstand  me.  I  never  preached  a  sermon  on  any 
baptism  but  the  baptism  with  the  Holy  Ghost,  in  my  life. 
In  all  probability  I  never  shall  preach  such  a  sermon.  I 
have  never  taught  the  essentiality  of  either  of  the  Chris- 
tian ordinances,  at  any  time,  nor  anywhere,  nor  to  any 
body.  I  never  expect  to  teach  their  essentiality,  because 
I  do  not  believe  it  myself.  But  where  would  be  the  con- 
sistency of  my  taking  a  pledge  that  I  should  never  preach 
nor  teach  in  any  way — even  in  conversation  or  in  a  letter 
— on  the  subject  of  baptism,  w4iich,  though  not  an  essen- 
tial of  salvation,  is  not,  therefore,  to  be  regarded  as  inex- 
pedient or  unimportant,  and  at  the  same  time  claim  to 
believe  in  and  to  follow  the  guidance  of  the  Holy  Spirit .'' 
Am  I  to  follow  His  guidance />r^z7V/^^  He  does  not  lead 
me  to  speak  on  07ie  forbidde7i  subject  ?  And  if  it  would 
be  inconsistent  for  me  to  take  such  a  pledge,  where  is 
the  consistency  of  your  requiring  it? 

*'  I  have  long  since  completed  my  part  of  D.  B.  Upde- 
graff's  biography.  I  do  not  remember  any  'expression 
of  any  views  of  my  own,  not  in  harmony '  with  the 
'  Declaration  of  Faith  of  Indiana  Yearly  Meeting.'  But 
since  I  cannot  be  sure  that  there  is  no  sentence  in  it, 
which  you  would  regard  as  objectionable  on  account  of 


A  CHAMPION  OF  TOLERANCE.  121 

not  being  in  harmony  with  said  Declaration,  I  cannot 
take  the  risk  of  signing  the  third  proposition.  But 
alas  !  alas  !  that  the  Friends'  church  should  ever  have 
thought  it  necessary  to  practice  such  a  rigid  censorship 
as  this  over  the  rights  of  conscience  and  over,  not  only 
freedom  of  speech,  but  freedom  of  press,  and  this  on 
non-essential  points.  God  be  merciful  to  this  church  for 
Jesus'  sake. 

"As  for  the  fourth  proposition,  I  have  no  recollection 
of  ever  making  the  expression  referred  to.  My  testi- 
mony has  been  positive,  rather  than  negative.  I  have 
long  stood  up  publicly  and  privately  for  tolerance  to  the 
individual  conscience  on  non-essential  points.  But  I 
certainly  regard  the  minute  of  1886  as  hitolerant,  and  the 
same  is  true  of  similar  edicts,  which  have  been  adopted 
by  several  Yearly  Meetings.  Now,  so  far  as  Friends 
adopt  and  execute  such  edicts,  they  are  intolerant,  even 
though  they  may  not  be  conscious  of  the  fact,  and  may 
even  deny  it.  Hence,  I  cannot  sign  the  fourth  propo- 
sition. 

"In  conclusion,  let  me  ask  you,  in  all  tenderness  and 
honesty,  why  cannot  this  whole  difficulty  be  settled  on 
the  basis  of  Robert  Barclay's  position  on  the  Lord's  Sup- 
per? Apology,  page  449.  I  quote  a  few  lines  without  any 
garbling :  '  Lastly,  if  any  now  at  this  day,  from  a  true 
tenderness  of  spirit,  and  with  real  conscience  toward 
God,  did  practice  this  ceremonj^  in  the  same  way, 
method,  and  manner  as  did  the  primitive  Christians  re- 
corded in  Scripture,  I  should  not  doubt  to  affirm,  but 
they  might  be  indulged  in  it,  and  the  Lord  might  regard 
them,  and  for  a  season  appear  to  them  in  the  use  of  these 
things,  as  many  of  us  have  known  Him  to  do  to  us  in 

the  time  of  our  ignorance  ;  providing  always  they  did  not 
P 


122  MEMOIR  OF  DA  VID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

seek  to  obtrude  them  upon  others,  nor  judge  such  as 
found  themselves  delivered  from  them,  or  that  they  do 
not  pertmaciously  adhere  to  them.'  Dearly  beloved 
friends,  let  me  be  one  of  those  who  are  thus  indulged, 
and  I  freely  consent  to  be  counted  among  those  v^^hom 
Robert  Barclay  and  yourselves  esteem  as  ig7wra?U.  Will 
you  not  allow  me  to  do  so  ? 

'*  Yours  ever  lovingly, 

"DOUGAN  CLARK." 


CHAPTER   XIV. 

CHRISTIAN   TOLERANCE   AS    RELATED   TO   TRUTH    AND 
UNITY. 

IX  AVING  detained  the  reader  with  very  recent  speci- 
fy mens  of  existing  intolerance  in  the  church  (ob- 
serve, we  say,  m  the  church,  not  intolerance  o/  the 
church),  we  want  to  insert  a  most  able  and  characteristic 
address  upon  this  question  as  delivered  by  the  subject  of 
this  memoir.  It  has  already  been  published  in  tract 
form,  but  all  who  read  it  will  agree  that  it  is  worthy  of 
a  more  permanent  place  in  literature.  We  publish  it  here 
as  the  very  best  statement  we  can  offer  of  David  Upde- 
graff's  convictions  upon  this  subject,  and  also  as  a  most 
careful  and  comprehensive  putting  of  the  subject  itself. 
Its  spirit,  too,  commends  it  to  all  who,  in  any  of  the 
churches,  feel  called  upon,  like  him,  to  contend  for  the 
liberty  of  God's  children: 

**  Even  civilized  life  would  be  impossible,  if  the  zaor/d 
did  not  have  its  code  of  forbearance  and  comity.  There 
are  wide  differences  of  opinion  as  to  our  duty  as  citizens, 
and  these  differences  are  to  a  certain  extent  the  proper 
subjects  of  friendly  conference  and  debate.  But  there  is 
a  limit  to  an  insistence  upon  our  views,  and  if  this  boun- 
dar}^  of  general  principles  be  exceeded,  personal  animos- 
ities and  feuds  are  engendered,  and  there  comes  an  end 

(123) 


124  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

of  good  feeling  and  neighborliness,  and  all  sensible  men 
know  this.  The  same  statements  are  true  in  a  still  higher 
degree  in  domestic  and  social  life.  He  who  violates  these 
laws  in  a  contemptuous  disregard  of  the  rights  of  private 
opinion,  or  diverse  practice,  soon  turns  his  home  into  a 
pandemonium,  and  receives  the  reprobation  of  all  right- 
thinking  men.  A  wise  parent  cannot  afford  to  treat  with 
impatience  or  intolerance  even  the  crude  or  foolish  opin- 
ions of  his  child.  If  so,  the  strong  presumption  would 
be  that  the  parent  w^as  wrong,  whether  the  child  was  or 
not.  Now  that  such  a  spirit  of  mutual  consideration  and 
forbearance  is  a  prime  necessity  to  the  state  and  to  so- 
ciety, needs  no  proof — it  is  indisputable.  Much  more, 
then,  do  we  affirm  that  it  is  a  necessity  for  the  Church  of 
Christ  to  exercise  tolerance  toward  those  of  its  members 
holding  diverse  opijiions. 

"  This,  then,  is  our  present  thesis,  proven  from  several 
stand-points,  but,  first,  and  in  this  paper,  because  it  is  a 
necessity  in  the  interests  of  the  trnth  itself,  of  which  the 
church  is  the  custodian  ])y  divine  appointment.  The 
Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  is  a  'trust,'  committed  to  His 
church  for  the  declared  purpose  of  accomplishing  certain 
results.  It  was  put  into  the  hands  of  the  early  church 
as  a  completed  system.  It  was  as  perfect,  both  in  sub- 
stance and  form,  wdien  Peter  and  Paul  preached  it,  as  it 
ever  w^as,  or  ever  will  be.  It  was  nothing  less  than  the 
wisdom  of  God  and  the  power  of  God  unto  salvation  then, 
and  it  is  just  that  to-day.  Every  real  improvement  in 
theology  takes  us  back  into  the  '  old  paths. '  There  is  no 
gospel  for  our  age  that  was  not  enjoyed  by  the  first  gos- 
pel age.  No  additions  have  come  from  God,  and  those 
proposed  by  man  are  only  substractions  in  disguise.  An 
emasculated  gospel,  or  a  gospel  of  private  interpretation, 


CHRISTIAN  TOLERANCE.  125 

or  amalgamated  with  human  discoveries,  is  not  the  Gos- 
pel of  God.  It  can  never  germinate,  but  is  a  barren  and 
fruitless  thing,  because  the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost  is 
not  granted  to  accompany  it.  And  the  Holy  Spirit  al- 
ways gathers  to  a  pcrsoji  and  not  to  a  system,  or  a  name, 
or  a  creed,  or  a  sect.  And  thus  it  is  that  all  evangelical 
Christianity  has  crystallized  about  the  person  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  who  is  '  the  truth  '  incarnated,  and  the  prin- 
ciple of  absolute  obedience  to  Him  is  the  central  princi- 
ple of  that  new  life  which  is  begotten  in  the  individual 
Christian.  But  this  is  a  uniting,  gathering  principle,  and 
so  it  came  to  pass  that  '  we  l3eing  many  are  one  body  in 
Christ,  and  every  one  members  one  of  another.'  And 
this  oneness  in  Jesus  Christ,  or  the  invisible  unity  of  His 
mystical  body,  is  the  foundation  of  the  visible  unity  of 
the  outward  and  milita7it  body  known  as  church  organi- 
zation. When  this  organization  was  first  completed  on 
the  day  of  Pentecost,  this  unity  was  perfect,  both  within 
and  without,  in  the  church,  and  for  a  brief  day  there  was 
indeed  the  supreme  headship  of  her  risen  Lord.  But 
when  thousands  came  to  be  added,  there  existed  at  once 
a  wide  variation  in  experience,  and  consequently  in  con- 
science, and  in  apprehending  the  will  of  God.  The  treas- 
ure was  committed  to  earthen  vessels,  and  'contentions' 
resulted  in  the  formation  of  differing  sects.  We  will 
here  assume  that  each  sect  has  been  formed  with  a  view 
of  r<?forming  the  existing  church,  either  as  to  its  interior 
or  exterior  life,  or  both.  And  in  every  such  case  there 
was  the  endeavor  to  return,  as  nearly  as  possible,  to  the 
apostolic  church,  both  in  doctrine  and  practice.  Any 
other  standard  would  be  a  false  standard,  and  wholly  in- 
admissible. All  of  the  evangelical  sects  have  found  com- 
mon standing  ground  upon  the  essentials  of  the  Christian 


126  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.  UPDEGRAFK 

religion,  but  besides  these  holding  views  more  or  less 
peculiar  to  themselves.  The  search  for  i/ie  truth  made 
by  successive  reformers,  age  after  age,  has  been  graciously 
rewarded  by  its  repeated  rescue  from  the  rubbish  and 
captivity  of  error.  To  put  it  mildly,  this  has  not  been 
accomplished  without  the  clash  of  conscientious  convic- 
tions, and  a  free  use  of  every  weapon  known  to  legiti- 
mate controversy.  This  was  especially  true  in  the  early 
days  of  our  own  church.  Its  founders  encountered  the 
most  skillful  and  strenuous  opposition,  and  their  conflict 
with  an  intolerant  and  persecuting  spirit  was  prolonged, 
sharp,  and  wearisome,  but  resulted  in  good.  There  was 
in  a  good  degree  a  restoration  of  primitive  Christianity 
and  true,  spiritual  w^orship.  Now  let  us  inquire  if  their 
discoveries  of  hidden  truth  were  complete?  Did  they 
comprehend  ail  of  the  truth  ?  Were  they  so  w4se  as  to 
exclude  all  error  ?  Was  theirs  a  finished  and  a  fixed 
theology,  incapable  of  improvement?  Were  they  called 
to  formulate  a  faith  for  their  posterity,  as  well  as  for 
themselves  ?  And  is  every  loyal  Quaker  to  be  born  with 
an  irresistible  penchant  to  subscribe  to  the  creed  they 
built  ?  Were  they  the  last  persons  to  receive  new  light 
on  old  truths?  And  did  they  receive  all  the  light  in  cer- 
tain directions  that  God  has  to  shed?  Were  the  princi- 
ples of  our  fathers  liviyig  things,  to  briyig  forth  buds,  a7id 
leaves,  and  fruits,  or  merely  a  species  of  sarcophagi  for 
the  safe-keeping  of  sacred  relics  a7id  sai^ited  dead?  And 
if  they  are  true  expression  of  life,  is  it  not  possible  that 
they  may  mean  something  more  or  something  different 
to  us  than  they  meant  to  them  ?  Or  if  we  are  capable  of 
receiving  jnew  light,  are  we  capable  of  walking  in  that 
which  w^as  given  to  them,  though  it  be  withdrawn  from 
us?     We   ask   these   questions  well   knowing   that  true 


CHRISTIAN  TOLERANCE.  127 

Quakerism  gives  an  emphatic  negative  to  every  one  of 
them,  and  my  readers  know  it,  too.  But  we  know,  also, 
that  there  is  a  practical  adherance  to  the  idea  of  the  in- 
fallibility of  '  Early  Friends,'  and  this  idea  has  been  as- 
serted and  defended,  though  in  indirect  ways,  for  nearly 
two  hundred  years.  Occasionally  it  has  been  in  unequiv- 
ocal language,  as,  for  example,  a  leading  elder  said,  fifty 
years  ago,  '  the  writings  of  Early  Friends  are  something 
that  have  risen  up  between  us  and  the  Scriptures,  and  we 
must  not  go  beyond  them.'  And  quite  recently  another  one 
publicly  declared,  '  the  Lord  did  lead  our  ancestors  into 
an  interpretation  of  Scripture  that  has  stood  us  for  two 
hundred  years  !  '  The  venerable  Benjamin  Sebohm 
warned  the  church  against  this  tendency  to  *  claim  a  kind 
of  infalUbility  on  the  part  of  Early  Friends, '  which  was 
'  undermining  the  very  foundation  of  all  true  Quakerism,' 
and  '  falls  little  short  of  absolute  Popery. '  No  doubt 
many  devout  and  godly  men  have  quietly  acquiesced  in 
this  state  of  thhigs,  perfectly  satisfied  with  their  unques- 
tioning confidence  in  the  religious  views  of  their  ances- 
tors. With  these  good  people  w^e  have  no  controversy. 
But  there  are  those,  also,  who  are  led  in  spite  of  them- 
selves to  question  their  inherited  opinions,  and  to  bring 
once  more  both  doctrine  and  practice  to  the  direct  test  of 
the  Scriptures. 

' '  Now  we  proclaim  that  it  is  in  the  interests  of  truth 
itself  for  the  church  to  exercise  true  Christiaii  tolerance, 
or  the  fullest  liberty  of  investigation  and  expression  in 
all  such  cases!  In  all  seriousness,  we  challenge  the  assent 
of  reasonable  men  to  this  postulate.  Who  does  not  know 
that  in  every  age  of  the  church  the  converse  of  this  prop- 
osition has  been  the  fortification  of  error,  and  of  the  ene- 
mies of  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus  ? 


128  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

' '  Let  us  quote  from  some  Catholic  authorities.  Bishop 
O' Conner  says:  'Religious  liberty  is  merely  endured 
until  the  opposite  can  be  carried  into  effect  without  peril 
to  the  Catholic  world.'  The  'Catholic  Review'  says: 
'  Protestantism  of  every  form  has  not,  and  never  can 
have,  any  right  where  Catholicity  is  triumphant.'  The 
'  Boston  Pilot '  says :  '  There  can  be  no  religion  without 
an  Inq^dsition,  which  is  wisely  designed  for  the  protec- 
tion and  promotion  of  the  true  faith.'  Pope  Pius  IX. 
said :  *  The  absurd  and  erroneous  doctrines  or  ravings  in 
defense  of  liberty  of  co7iscience  are  a  most  pestilential 
error.'  The  same  sentiments  are  found  in  an  editorial 
of  '  The  Star  and  Crown,'  which  is  7iot  Catholic  author- 
ity, but  it  says  (italics  are  ours) :  '  Toleration  in  conscien- 
tious relfgious  eccentricities,  when  coming  under  the  seal 
of  genuine  loyalty,  is  often  to  be  iridulged  and  com- 
mended; but  since  it  is  certain  that  a  conscience  which 
finds  its  natural  pabulum  outside  the  boundaries  of 
wholesome  and  preservative  church  law,  can  never  as- 
similate itself  to  the  spirit  of  the  church,  it  seems  neither 
safe  nor  politic  to  conseiit  to  its  propagation  withiyi  the  or- 
ganized lilies.' 

"  Need  we  add,  that  the  errors  of  the  school-men,  so  con- 
stantly exposed  by  early  Friends,  were  entrenched  behind 
the  bigotry  that  compelled  an  exact  agreement  of  thought 
with  the  dogmas  of  the  church  ?  And  when  we  are  met 
in  this  day  of  grace  by  this  newly-recruited  regiment  of 
the  devotees  of  the  revived  gospel  of  the  Inquisition, 
We  wonder  if  it  is  not  the  vanguard  of  that  army  that 
shall  one  day  come  from  the  Vatican  demanding  of 
'  every  human  creature  subjection  to  the  Roman  pontiff  ! ' 
Some  of  these  recruits  are  young  in  the  cause,  but  their 
present  zeal  atones  largely  for  the  time  lost  while  forag- 


CHRISTIAN  TOLERANCE.  129 

ing  in  other  fields,  and  they  may  easily  be  distinguished 
by  the  freshness  of  their  war-paint,  and  by  the  reckless 
vigor  with  which  they  flourish  their  weapons  of  invective, 
misrepresentation,  and  that  reliable  old  war-club,  the 
odhmi  theologicum.  Socrates  is  reported  to  have  said  to 
his  judges :  *  In  another  world  they  do  not  put  a  man  to 
death  for  asking  questions. '  Of  course,  we  must  be  clearly 
and  always  understood  as  claiming  this  tolerance  of  which 
we  speak,  withi7i  the  limits  of  what  may  be  termed  a  gen- 
eral creed  or  consensus  of  the  church.  In  fact,  just  such 
an  one  as  our  fathers  left  us,  and  not  such  a  particular 
and  narrow  creed  as  the  distortions  of  tradition  and  cus. 
tom  would  fasten  upon  us,  '  descending  to  minute  details 
as  to  interpretations  and  applications  of  particular  texts 
of  Scripture,'  etc.,  as  fitly  described  by  B.  Sebohm.  He 
denounced  such  an  imposition  as  Popery,  and  so  it  is;  yet 
it  is  '  sought  to  be  made  the  Shibboleth  of  Quakerism  to- 
day.' We  mo.st  solemnly  and  lovingly  admonish  brethren 
to  wash  their  hands  of  this  enormity.  A  persecuting  bishop 
once  advised  the  king  of  France  to  put  all  who  refused  to 
think  as  they  did  hito  iron  cages,  in  which  they  could 
neither  He  down  nor  stand  up.  It  was  an  aw^ful  torture, 
but  the  bishop  himself  spent  fourteen  years  of  retribution 
in  one  of  them,  apparently  because  he  had  offended  the 
king,  but  really  because  he  offended  God. 

• '  Bishop  Ryan  has  lately  said  :  '  We  hate  heretics  with 
a  perfect  hatred,  and  when  the  Catholics  get  the  majority 
in  this  country,  as  they  will,  there  will  be  an  end  of  re- 
ligious liberty  in  the  United  States.'  Let  men  beware  of 
that  '  Mischief  that  shall  return  upon  their  own  heads, 
and  a  violent  dealing  that  shall  come  down  upon  their 
own  pates  '  (Ps.  7).  Let  us  beware  of  that  which  is  inim- 
ical to  moral  and  mental  freedom;  of  that  which  degrades 


130  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.   UPDEGRAFF 

reason,  stifles  conscience,  and  resists  the  Holy  Ghost.  And 
for  a  looking-glass,  we  may  paraphrase  the  teaching  of 
Cardinal  Bellarmine  :  '  If  the  church  should  err  by  en- 
joining vices  or  forbidding  virtues,  the  members  would  be 
obliged  to  believe  vices  to  be  good  and  virtues  bad,  unless 
they  would  sin  against  the  chicrch's  co7iscie7ice  /  '  Away, 
forever  away,  from  every  Protestant  heart,  be  such  blas- 
phemy against  the  ever-living  God  and  His  eternal  truth  ! 

"  But  what  is  that  ge^ieral  creed,  within  whose  limits 
the  tolerance  of  which  we  speak  is  not  only  safe  but  neces- 
sary ?  For  undisputed  authority  we  quote  William  Penn 
(Works,  Vol.  II,  172G):  'It  is  generally  thought  that 
we  do  not  hold  the  common  doctrines  of  Christianity,  but 
have  introduced  new  and  erroneous  ones  in  lieu  thereof; 
whereas  we  plainly  and  entirely  believe  the  truths  con- 
tained in  the  creed,  that  is  commonly  called  The  Apostles', 
which  is  very  comprehensive  as  well  as  ancient.'  Again, 
he  says  :  '  For,  setting  aside  some  school  terms,  we  hold 
the  substance  of  those  doctrines  believed  by  the  Church 
of  E7igla7id,  as  to  God,  Christ,  Spirit,  Scripture,  repent- 
ance, sanctification,  remission  of  sin,  holy  living,  and  the 
resurrection  of  the  just  and  unjust  to  eternal  rewards  and 
punishments.'  He  then  declares  that  '  zve  differ  7nost  about 
worship  and  the  i7nvard  quaHJicatio7i  of  the  soul  by  the 
work  of  God's  Spirit  thereon,  in  pursuance  of  these  good 
a7id  ge7ierally  received  doctri7ies. '  Here  is  a  full  statement 
of  the  grounds  of  a  common  religion,  and  also  those  of 
dissent. 

"  Withi7i  such  fundamental  and  uiiiversall}^  well-estab- 
lished lines  there  is  ample  scope  for  independent  thought 
and  brotherly  condescension.  A  past,  if  not  a  present  mis- 
take, has  been  to  condone  an  assault  upon  these  lines,  while 
severe  in  our  exactions  of  the  tithe  of  *  mint,  anise,  and 


CHRISTIAN  TOLERANCE.  131 

cummin.'  We  have  no  sympathy  with  that  idea  of  Chris- 
tianity that  looks  upon  it  as  a  loose-jointed  thing,  lack- 
ing polarity,  and  falling  abroad  in  an  embrace  of  Hberal- 
ism,  philosophies,  or  so-called  'modern  thought.'  Cer- 
tainly not.  Nor  yet  is  it  an  ecclesiastical  strait-jacket,  so 
exquisitely  stitched  and  starched  that  it  can  only  fit  a 
few  precious  souls  of  fastidious  form  and  cultured  taste. 
The  religion  of  Jesus  cannot  be  reduced  to  a  fine  art, 
whose  real  beauties  are  only  to  be  discerned  and  appreci- 
ated by  such  as  have  been  especially  trained  to  behold 
them  through  glasses  of  a  rare  and  costly  make  !  No  !  the 
church,  if  it  will  make  any  true  advance,  must  turn  back- 
wards towards  the  old  '  faith  once  delivered  to  the  saints,' 
and  not  toward  the  '  new  theology.'  But  diversities  of 
opiyiion  are  the  inevitable  result  of  all  progress  in  knowl- 
edge, and  in  important  respects  religious  knowledge  is  no 
exception  to  the  rule.  It  is  also  true  that  an  advance 
in  the  divine  life  always  promotes  unity  of  the  spirit.  Now 
these  great  facts,  apparently  contradictory,  can  be  per- 
fectly adjusted  by  that  catholicity  which  is  peculiar  to  the 
highway  of  scriptural  charity,  or  the  '  more  excellent 
way,'  of  which  Paul  speaks,  and  in  no  other  way.  This 
promotes  fraternal  unity,  candor,  and  integrity,  and  it  is 
a  genuine  conservator  of  all  the  truths  of  orthodoxy,  while 
an  enforced  ecclesiastical  unity  pays  a  premium  on  envy 
and  dissimulation,  and  is  the  ver>^  hotbed  of  error. 

''Having  now  shown  that  intolerance  is  the  inveterate 
foe  of  the  truth,  it  remains  for  us  to  prove  that  it  is  equally 
the  destroyer  of  true  unity  in  the  church.  That  Chris- 
tian tolerance  is  an  absolute  necessity  to  the  unity  of  the 
denomination,  is  then  the  proposition  now  claiming  our 
attention.  That  when  it  ceases  to  prevail.  Christian  unity 
and  communion  conies  to  an  end,  is  indeed  so  manifestly 


132  MEMOIR  OF  DA  VID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

true  that  it  seems  strange  that  it  needs  to  be  proven.  But 
there  is  an  evident  misapprehension  of  what  tolerance 
means,  as  well  as  what  true  miity  is,  and  also  concerning 
the  proper  limitations  of  the  church's  authority.  Web- 
ster, Worcester,  and  others  have  no  disagreement  about 
the  meaning  of  toleration,  and  there  can  be  none  with 
those  who  care  to  know  what  that  meaning  is.  '  Tolera- 
tion: the  allowance  of  that  which  is  not  wholly  approved : 
— where  no  power  exists,  or  none  is  assumed,  to  establish 
a  creed  and  a  mode  of  worship  there  caii  be  7io  toleration, 
for  one  religious  denomination  has  as  good  a  right  as  an- 
other to  the  free  enjoyment  of  its  creed  and  worship.' 
Of  course  such  definition  is  clear  and  self-evident.  But 
we  are  told  by  an  editor  ('Review')  that  '  toleration  is  a 
much  abused  term,'  and  in  the  light  of  his  illustrations 
we  fully  agree  that  it  is  'abused.'  He  says:  '  We  toler- 
ate Romanists,  Jews,  and  even  Agnostics;  that  is,  we  do 
not  attempt  to  punish  them  or  compel  them  to  accept  our 
convictions  of  truth.'  Now  it  would  simply  be  grotesque 
to  speak  of  '  our  society  '  with  its  less  than  100,000  mem- 
bers, as  'not  attempting  to  punish  or  compel,'  etc.,  the 
7,000,000  Romanists  of  our  land  'to  accept,'  etc.  He 
must,  therefore,  speak  of  the  nation  where  he  says,  'we' 
and  '02ir.'  And  if  so,  who  can  tell  what  'our  [govern- 
ment's] convictions  of  truth  '  are  ?  It  has  never  assumed 
nor  possessed  the  power  to  establish  a  state  religion  of 
any  kind,^'  and  consequently  '  Romanists,  Jews,  and  Ag- 
nostics '  have  precisel}^  the  same  rights  that  other  denom- 
inations have,  and  the  government  cannot  be  said  to  tol- 
erate Romanists  one  whit  more  than  Methodists  or  Quak- 

*  And  if  it  should  do  so  to-day  it  would  as  probably  be  Roman- 
ism as  any,  in  which  case  Friends  might  appreciate  and  under- 
stand '•  toleration  "  better  than  now. 


CHRISTIAN  TOLERANCE.  133 

ers,  and  such  an  'abuse  of  the  term  toleration,'  is  most 
obvious.  And  yet  another  quasi  editor,  and  also  a  '  su- 
perintendent of  education,'  instructs  his  readers  that  if 
they  would  only  inspect  the  premises  of  a  certain  '  pub- 
lishing company,'  they  would  get  a  'practical  demojistratioji 
of  toleration.'  Now  we  saw  in  a  moment  how  it  might  be 
correct  to  use  that  word  in  connection  with  a  business  of- 
fice. For  example,  if  a  creditor  who  had  a  dishojiest 
debtor  in  his  power,  should  kindly  forbear  to  enforce  the 
law,  and  allow  him  to  pursue  a  questionable  business — 
that  might  be  '  toleration.'  But  when  our  editor  came  to 
explain  his  '  illustration  of  toleration , '  it  was  both  amus- 
ing and  pitiful.  That  half  a  dozen  different  business  men 
with  different  interests  should  get  along  together  without 
'  an  attempt  made  to  trespass  upon  or  invade  each  other's 
economy,'  and  that  'individual  rights  are  held  sacred,' 
ought  not  to  be  a  remarkable  thing.  In  Ohio  we  would 
not  think  of  '  toleration,'  in  such  a  connection;  we  would 
call  it  simple  honest}^  or  common  decency.  We  suppose 
if  these  brethren  were  charged  with  '  tolerating  '  rum  sell- 
ing and  licentiousness  in  Indianapolis  they  would  speed- 
ily exonerate  themselves  b}^  disclaiming  both  the  power 
and  the  legal  right  to  interfere.  And  without  these  '  tol- 
eration is  a  much  abused  term'  indeed.  But  'tolerance' 
does  not  mean  indifference  toward  an  opinion  or  custom 
supposed  to  be  wrong.  It  does  not  even  presuppose  any 
change  of  conviction  favorable  to  such  opinion.  It  does 
not  imply  indifference  to  a  supposed  error,  or  a  perfect 
willingness  that  it  should  continue.  Not  at  all.  It  does 
\nv^\y  co7ivictio7i  on  the  part  of  the  'tolerant,'  and  such 
conviction  of  the  truth  as  to  deplore  error,  and  seek  by 
all  legitimate  means  for  its  extirpation.  Now  these  legit- 
imate means  are  not  the  same  for  the  church  as  for  the 


134  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

state.  Legislation  is  the  logic  of  the  state,  and  the  argu- 
ment of  kings.  The  weapons  of  the  church  are  not  thus 
carnal,  and  for  it  to  '  take  the  sword  is  to  perish  with  the 
sword. '  God's  ordained  weapons  for  the  destruction  of 
error  and  the  unification  of  beUevers  in  the  truth  are  love, 
faith  ^patience,  and  mutual  forbearance  or  'tolerance,'  and 
'the  word  of  God.'  To  abandon  these  for  legislation, 
however  great  the  emergency,  is  to  'rely  on  the  King  of 
Syria,  and  not  upon  the  Lord  thy  God  .  .  .  there- 
fore from  henceforth  thou  shalt  have  wars.'  And  this 
has  been  most  fully  verified  in  our  history.  All  must 
agree  that  not  only  '  the  unity  of  the  Spirit '  but  unity  of 
opinion,  if  it  be  in  the  truth,  is  a  most  desirable  and 
blessed  thing.  And  it  is  because  we  so  fully  appreciate 
this,  that  we  insist  upon  Christian  tolerance,  since  that  is 
the  only  possible  ivay  to  bring  it  about.  '  Love  that  is  not 
easily  provoked,  thinketh  no  evil,  beareth  all  things,  en- 
dureth  all  things,'  is  the  only  platform  upon  which  the 
Spirit  can  work  as  the  unifier  of  God's  people.  And  from 
this  stand-point  we  affirm  i7itolerance  to  be  absolutely  and 
forever  inimical  to,  and  incompatible  with,  true  Christia7i 
tmity.  Excision  is  not  unity,  nor  can  the  real  thing  ever 
be  reached  on  that  line.  A  physician  is  not  to  secure  the 
uniform  health  of  a  family  by  killing  off  the  sick  mem- 
bers of  it,  and  burying  them  out  of  sight,  but  by  restor- 
ing the  sick  to  health.  The  first  might  be  much  the 
shorter  and  least  expensive  method,  but  the  state  would 
deal  with  the  doctor  for  manslaughter.  And  he  might 
plead  in  vain  that  he  only  helped  his  patient  off  to  an- 
other country  that  was  better  adapted  to  him  than  this. 
How  many  homes  have  been  hospitals  for  a  score  of  years, 
where  mothers  patiently  wait  and  pray  for  the  recovery  of 
their  sick?  They  are  tenacious  of  their  loved  one's  lives, 
and  anything  else  would  be  monstrous.     And  can  it  be 


CHRISTIAN  TOLERANCE.  135 

any  less  monstrous  for  our  mother  the  church  to  be  less 
tenacious  of  her  children  than  of  her  own  ease  and  com- 
fort or  even  of  the  truth  itself  ?  A  man  may  have  great 
tenacity  of  the  truth  in  its  outward  formula,  and  not  be 
himself  inwardly  transformed  by  it  at  all,  and  so  be  un- 
true to  himself  and  all  others,  indeed  be  no  more  than  a 
'  whited  sepulcher.'  But  to  be  made/r^(?  by  the  truth,  is 
to  hold  it  firmly  and  bring  it  to  bear  upon  brethren  that 
are  held  with  equal  tenacity.  To  relax  this  hold  is  to  let 
them  get  beyond  our  reach  for  good.  In  fact  it  is  not 
the  errors  of  opinion  held  by  our  brother  toward  which 
we  are  required  to  exercise  tolerance,  but  it  is  toward  our 
brother  himself.  Between  us  there  is  a  diversity  of  opin- 
ion. This  of  itself  is  not  a  good,  but  an  evil.  One  of 
us  is  in  the  wrong.  Neither  party  can  claim  infallibility. 
Possibly  we  may  both  be  wrong.  Christian  love  and  mu- 
tual tolerance  may  conduct  us  to  a  middle  ground  that  is 
right.  Every  consideration  then  points  to  this  as  most 
reasonable  and  right,  while  to  turn  from  it  is  a  forfeiture 
of  all  chances  both  for  benefiting  ourselves  and  our 
brother.  Now  this  is  not  a  tolerance  that  is  to  put  a 
Christian  on  the  same  level  as  an  '  infidel,'  or  a  'scoffer,' 
or  a  'fornicator,'  or  an  'idolator,'  or  a  'railer,'  or  an  'ex- 
tortioner. '  It  is  not  to  invade  that  domain  of  fundamental 
truth  which  constitutes  what  all  Christendom  are  agreed 
upon  as  the  '  Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ. '  It  is  not  to  open 
a  door  for  Liberalism,  or  Agnosticism,  or  any  other  ism 
that  cuts  the  nerves  of  Christian  life  and  work. 

"It  is  not  to  disparage  church  organization,  and  the 
proper  and  faithful  exercise  of  its  discipline  under  the 
direction  and  authority  of  its  Holy  Head.  It  is  not  to 
screen  offenders  who  may  have  denied  Christ,  or  the 
faith,  or  good  morals,  and  from  whom  the  church  of 
Christ  is  commanded  to  separate  itself.     But  it  is  to  put 


136  MEMOIR  OF  DA  VID  B.  UPDEGRAFF 

the  rights  of  Christian  brethren  parri  passu,  and  upon 
the  same  level  on  all  matters  touching  the  non-essential 
or  theoretical  matters  of  the  church.  It  is  to  preserve 
and  guard  a  platform  where  individual  responsibility  to 
God, /reed  from  the  intimidations  of  tradition  and  eccle- 
siasticism,  shall  be  at  liberty  to  make  2.  personal  applica- 
tion of  the  general  principles  of  the  Gospel  already  ac- 
cepted. It  has  been  the  glory  of  our  church  to  insist 
upon  this  personal  responsibility  to  God,  and  to  set  forth 
the  sin  and  danger  of  shifting  it  on  to  a  priest,  or  a 
church,  or  a  council.  Theoretically  we  have  claimed  to 
be  Spirit-directed,  Spirit-controlled,  but  often  with  such 
mental  reservation  as  to  practically  dictate  the  action  of 
the  Holy  Ghost,  and  thus  prevefit  it.  The  '  immediate 
guidance  of  the  Spirit '  can  be  freely  conceded  to  such  as 
speak  according  to  the  'traditions,'  and  whose  interpre- 
tations of  most  Scripture  passages  can  be  as  accurately 
foretold  a  month  before  they  preach  as  after  they  have 
finished,  while  an  intolerant  spirit  is  quick  to  doubt  and 
darkly  insinuate  against  the  fact  of  Divine  guidance  in 
case  of  a  deviation  from  inherited  opinions.  Not  only  so, 
it  is  bold  in  its  resolute  purpose  to  destroy  ministerial 
usefulness  and  character,  and  to  invoke  the  anathemas  of 
a  church  '  decree ! '  Yet  unkind  and  unchristian  treat- 
ment from  those  who  differ  must  not  be  resented,  or  mur- 
mured at,  or  even  complained  of  by  those  who  suffer; 
'  but  let  them  glorify  God  on  this  behalf. '  It  therefore 
is  in  the  interests  of  the  church  itself  that  we  are  con- 
strained to  insist  upon  it  that  true  conservatism  as  well 
as  true  *  unity  '  is  best  promoted  by  full  liberty  of  investi- 
gation and  utterance,  and  not  by  smiting  honest  men  in 
the  mouth,  even  though  we  obtain  a  priestlj^  authority 
to  do  so." 


CHAPTER  XV. 

A    STANDARD-BEARER    OF    HOLINESS. 

"The  law  of  the  Spirit  of  life  in  Christ  Jesus  hath  made  me 
free  from  the  law  of  sin  and  death." — Rom.  8  :  2. 

7T  S  an  introduction  to  this  chapter,  and  to  indicate  how 
CI  he  was  regarded  by  his  brethren,  both  as  to  sound- 
ness of  his  doctrine  upon  this  subject,  and  his  skill  in 
pre.senting  it,  we  quote  the  words  of  the  venerable  As- 
bury  Lowry,  editor  of  The  Divine  Life,  and  for  many 
years  a  highly-respected  expositor  and  preacher  of  full 
salvation.  He  says:  "It  is  both  an  interesting  fact  and 
a  humiliating  confession  which  we  are  obliged  to  make, 
that  both  of  these  Quakers  (Dougan  Clark  and  David 
Updegraff)  are  more  able  and  accurate  expounders  of  the 
doctrine,  and  more  zealous  promoters  of  the  experience 
of  entire  sanctification,  than  the  majority  of  Methodist 
preachers.  To  them  it  is  evidently  an  unspeakable  hix- 
ury  ^' to  spread  Scriphcral  Holiness  over  these  laiids'^ 
They  are  not  obtrusive,  but  they  enter  every  open  door. 
*'  They  are  instant  in  season  and  out  of  season." 

Every  word  of  this  is  true.  Yet  he  would,  in  his  pleas- 
ant way,  explain  that  "  the  Methodists  had  no  patent 
right  on  Christian  Perfection,  and  that  George  Fox 
taught  the  same  one  hundred  years  before  John  Wesley." 
In  this,  as  in  other  things,  he  would  protest  that  "  We 

10  (137) 


138  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

honestly  think  ourselves  a  genuine  Quaker."  And  yet 
in  this,  as  in  other  things,  his  immense  catholicity  of 
spirit  appeared,  and  his  interdenominational  breadth  was 
manifested  and  appreciated. 

This  is  one  thing  to  be  observed  about  the  effect  of  the 
experience  and  ministry  of  Holiness.  It  tends  to  unify 
the  churches.  It  is  in  the  line  of  answer  to  the  Lord's 
prayer  that  "they  may  be  one."  No  artificial  unifica- 
tion ever  unites  the  sects.  No  effort  at  a  gigantic  or- 
ganic union  of  the  churches  of  Protestantism  need  hope 
for  any  better  outcome  than  what  papacy  and  Romanism 
have  produced.  Many  of  the  vSO-called  "unions"  for 
purposes  of  meeting,  etc.,  are  procured  at  the  cost  of 
essentials,  and  are  simply  of  the  nature  of  a  temporary 
armistice.  But  Holiness  subordinates  non-essentials,  and 
magnifies  and  maintains  essentials,  and  ministers  to  ' '  the 
unity  of  the  spirit  in  the  bond  of  peace."  Every  interde- 
nominational door  that  opened  to  David  Updegraff" — and 
they  were  many — opened  because  he  brought  the  doc- 
trine and  testimony  of  Christian  Holiness.  We  know  of 
no  single  exception  to  this  rule.  It  was  never  because 
he  came  either  to  advocate  or  defend  Friends'  views;  it 
was  never  because  he  came  to  advocate  baptism,  or  any 
particular  mode  of  its  application ;  it  was  never  because 
he  came  as  the  representative  of  some  humanitarian  proj  - 
ect,  philanthropic  institution.  Sabbath  observ^ance  soci- 
ety, or  anything  of  that  kind;  but  because  he  preached 
Holiness.  Doors  of  many  churches  opened  widely  to  him. 
Camp-meetings  always  welcomed  him.  Indeed,  some  of 
them  felt  that  they  could  not  get  along  without  him. 

The  spiritual  in  the  churches — all  over  the  land— while 
true  to  that  which  distinguishes  their  denominations,  are 
eager  and  hungry  for  that  which  belongs  to  us  all,  even 


A  STANDARD-BEARER  OF  HOLINESS.        139 

the  fullness  of  the  blessing  of  the  Gospel.  This  is  what 
this  man  and  minister  of  God  declared  unto  them.  Com- 
ing to  Quakers,  they  were  never  served  with  debates  upon 
the  subject  of  water  baptism,  but  with  discourses  upon 
the  baptism  with  the  Holy  Ghost.  Coming  to  Methodists 
or  Baptists,  etc.,  they  were  not  treated  to  a  dissertation 
upon  the  needlessness  of  ''  water,"  but  to  earnest  exhor- 
tation upon  the  necessity  of  "  fire."  Ecclesiastical  mat- 
ters and  many  doctrinal  points  were  left  undisturbed 
where  he  found  them.  So  were  political  questions.  Like- 
wise many  details,  even  of  Holiness  as  applied  to  taste 
and  judgment  and  scruples  of  various  sects.  But  the 
"great  central  idea  of  Christianity"  was  emphasized, 
explained,  and  enforced  with  a  wisdom  and  a  skill,  and 
an  untiring  zeal  which  few  of  us  have  ever  seen  equaled, 
and  never  excelled. 

Perhaps  it  might  be  said  that  he  discovered  or  promul- 
gated no  new  truths  on  this  subject.  But  he  brought  out 
old  ones  which  seemed  new  to  many,  and  in  a  way  to  ap- 
pear in  new  lights  to  all.  Then  he  developed  some  pre- 
viously-discovered germs,  which,  in  their  full  bloom,  ac- 
quired an  importance  to  this  subject,  perhaps  hitherto  not 
sufficiently  appreciated. 

In  this  connection,  many  of  us  are  under  lasting  obli- 
gations to  him  for  the  place  and  prominence  which  he 
was  led  to  accord  to  the  Baptism  with  the  Holy  Ghost, 
in  connection  with  the  entire  sanctification  of  the  human 
soul.  In  all  doctrine  there  is  a  normal  development. 
No  doubt  while,  as  David  claimed,  the  doctrine  of 
George  Fox  was  the  same  as  that  of  John  Wesley,  yet, 
under  God,  Wesley  was  blessed  in  bringing  it  out  to  a 
clearer  definition  than  it  was  understood  to  be  by  Fox, 
or,  possibly,  by  the  church  in  any  age.     So,  too,  it  is 


140  MEMOIR  OF  DA  VID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

probable  that  the  modern  Holiness  revival  has,  in  some 
points,  utifolded  the  doctrine  defined  by  Wesley,  and 
brought  out  its  symmetry  and  consistency  more  fully 
ev^en,  than  appeared  in  his  writings.  It  is  comforting, 
however,  to  know  that  nothing  has  been  brought  out 
contrary  to,  or  contradictory  of,  the  teachings  of  Wesley. 
So  that  everywhere,  in  all  denominations,  where  this  doc- 
trine is  taught  and  this  experience  witnessed,  it  is  easily 
recognized  as  Wesleyan  Perfection,  though  it  is  Wesleyan 
only  in  the  sense  in  which  we  have  indicated.  It  was 
known  and  taught  in  the  church  before  his  day.  It  has 
been  elaborated  and  explained  more  fully  in  our  own  day. 
This  mission  of  the  Spirit  in  the  sanctification  of  the 
believer  is,  of  course,  everywhere  acknowledged.  Rut 
that  this  mission  is  executed  in  what  is  called  in  the 
Scriptures  the  Baptism  with  the  Spirit,  and  recorded 
there  as  the  great  blessing  of  the  day  of  Pentecost,  is  not 
so  fully  emphasized.  It  is  noticeable  that  many  claim- 
ing the  "second  blessing,"  and  yet  withheld  by  educa- 
tional bias  from  accepting  the  doctrine  of  entire  sanctifi- 
cation by  faith,  are  disposed  to  restrict  this  Pentecostal 
Baptism  to  the  enduement  of  workers  for  service.  Brother 
Updegraff  was  greatly  used  of  God  in  showing  the  ethical 
effects  of  this  blessing  upon  the  primitive  Christian;  in 
showing,  too,  that  it  fell  upon  men  and  women  alike — 
the  whole  number,  one  hundred  and  twenty  (irrespective 
of  apostolic  office),  being  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost;  and 
also  that  this  baptism  was  distmciive — being  different 
from  all  other  blessings  which  even  the  primitive  Chris- 
tians obtained.  He  further  showed  that  it  was  7wt  the 
first  saving  or  spiritual  blessing  which  these  disciples  en- 
jo3^ed;  but  upon  the  other  hand,  that  it  was  invariabl}^ 
preceded  by  a  goodly  work  of  grace  in  the  hearts  of  the 


A  STANDARD-BEARER  OF  HOLINESS,         141 

recipients.  The  exact  character  and  extent  of  this  bless- 
ing he  found  clearly  indicated  by  the  symbol  of  fire  with 
which  the  baptism  w^as  announced  and  attended;  and  by 
the  emphatic  testimonies  of  the  Scriptures  concerning  it. 
And  thi^  "refining  fire,"  this  "  purification  of  the  heart 
by  faith,"  he  ably  showed  to  be  synonymous  or  identical 
with  entire  sanctification.  This  clear  distinguishing  of 
the  "one  baptism,"  from  the  refreshings  oft,  the  plain 
showing  of  the  subsequency  of  this  baptism  to  the  regen- 
eration, or  new  birth  of  the  soul,  the  widening  of  the 
promise  hereof  beyond  the  range  of  only  workers,  till  it 
covers  all  the  servants,  handmaidens,  sons,  and  daughters 
of  the  Lord's  house,  and  the  focalizing  of  the  Spirit's  fire 
upon  the  purification  of  the  heart,  will  be  of  permanent 
value  to  the  church  as  it  is  unassailable  from  eitheran  ex- 
egetical  or  an  experimental  stand-point.  And  it  is  a  key 
to  many  other  difficulties  in  connection  with  the  subject. 

His  doctrine  of  Holiness  was  relentlessly  opposed  to 
Antinomian  Errors.  None  more  than  he  relied  upon 
the  merits  of  Christ's  death  for  acceptance.  Yet,  none 
fought  more  valiantly  than  he  that  perversion  of  the  doc- 
trine of  Substitution,  which  would  leave  every  man  in 
sin  (or  sin  in  every  man)  and  make  Christ's  personal 
righteousness  a  covering  for  man's  filthiness,  or  a  substi- 
tute for  his  obedience.  With  Paul  he  exclaimed  :  "  How 
shall  we  that  are  dead  to  sin  live  any  longer  therein?  " 
And  with  Paul  again,  he  declared  that  "  the  law  of  the 
Spirit  of  life  in  Christ  Jesus  hath  made  me  free  from  the 
law  of  sin  and  death."  And  in  the  ministry  of  this  law 
to  others  he  enjoined  them,  with  the  great  apostle  to 
"reckon  themselves  to  be  dead  indeed  unto  sin." 

Who  will  ever  forget  his  proclamation  of  the  death- 
warrant  of  the  "  old  man?  "     How  mightily  and  relent- 


142  MEMOIR  OF  DA  VID  B.  UPDEGRAFF- 

lessly  lie  enforced  the  condemnation  of  sin  in  the  flesh ! 
How  he  exposed  the  fallacy  and  showed  the  unphilosoph- 
ical  as  well  as  the  unscriptural  base  of  the  theory  of  nec- 
essary retention  of  the  dual  nature  as  long  as  we  are  in 
the  body  !  He  carefully  distinguished  between  th^  natural 
man  and  the  carnal  man;  between  what  some  have  called 
our  "  depraved  self  "  and  our  "  infirm  self."  He  showed 
conclusively  that  all  of  the  language  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment contemplates  the  ' '  putting  off , "  the  ' '  making  dead, ' ' 
the  "crucifixion,"  of  the  "old  man,"  or  the  "carnal 
mind,"  or  the  "  body  of  the  sins  of  the  flesh,"  and  not 
merely  the  suppression  of  inbred  sin. 

While  allowing  for  blessings  many  and  refreshings  oft, 
he  most  jealously  maintained,  however,  the  distinctive- 
ness and  completeness  of  that  blessing  which  is  most 
properly  known  as  the  Baptism  with  the  Holy  Ghost.  He 
would  carefully  note  the  fact  that  it  was  always  spoken 
of  in  the  singular  number,  and  with  the  definite  article. 
It  w^as  the  Baptism  of  Christ  with  the  Spirit.  And  how 
beautifully  and  blessedly  would  he  bring  out  the  fact  that 
He  had  come  to  stay,  and  that  He  was  the  Abiding  Com- 
forter. 

His  presentations  of  the  experience  of  Perfect  Love 
were  exceedingly  beautiful.  In  this  connection  he  made 
much  use  of  the  illustration  of  marriage,  showing  first  the 
sweet  and  anticipating  enjoyment  of  that  initial  state  of 
love\vherein  Jesus  was  the  "  lover  of  the  soul,"  and  then 
the  ineffable  delight  of  that  consummation  wherein  Baali 
had  become  the  Ishi  of  the  soul,  wherein  "  Christ,  having 
loved  the  church  and  given  Himself  for  it,  presented  it 
unto  himself  a  glorious  church,  not  having  spot  or  wrinkle 
or  any  such  thing."  This  is  the  bride  in  her  wedding 
apparel. 


A  STANDARD-BEARER  OF  HOLINESS.        143 

As  to  blameless  preservation  in  a  state  of  holiness,  David 
leaned  strongly  towards  the  side  which  emphasized  the 
divine  sovereignty.  "  The  Lord  is  thy  keeper,"  he  would 
so  often  say.  ' '  He  is  faithful  to  keep  that  which  I  have 
committed  unto  him  against  that  day,"  he  would  joyfully 
protest.  And  ' '  now  unto  Him  that  is  able  to  keep  you 
from  falHng,"  was  a  favorite  doxology  with  him.  In  this 
he  greatly  comforted  many  who  thought  it  was  the  power 
of  their  faith  that  was  to  keep  them,  instead  of  the  power 
of  God  through  faith.  He  made  a  fine  distinction  between 
loss  of  communion  and  loss  of  union  which  aided  many 
in  explaining  some  of  their  frames  and  moods  which  were 
a  sort  of  paradox  with  their  fixed  religious  state. 

Nevertheless,  he  duly  recognized  the  possibility  of  sin 
after  sanctification.  He  sometimes  would  preach  upon 
' '  becoming  a  castaway  ' '  even  after  having  preached  to 
others.  He  would  warn  him  that  assuredly  standeth  to 
take  heed  lest  he  fall.  He  would  urge  any  that  had 
lapsed,  or,  as  he  styled  it,  been  struck  by  one  of  Satan's 
fiery  darts,  to  flee  at  once  to  the  doctor,  lest  the  poison 
get  through  his  system.  He  devoted  much  time  and  toil 
and  man}^  tears  to  the  recovery  of  backsliders. 

Only  eternity  can  tell  the  extent  of  the  results  of  the 
Holiness  ministry  of  this  Joshua.  How  many  entered 
that  goodly  land  by  his  leadership,  how  many  were  taught 
by  him  to  explore  the  land  and  do  exploits,  how  many 
became  teachers  of  others  through  his  help  and  example, 
we  have  no  means  of  knowing.  Only  w^e  know  that  he 
was  a  mighty  producer  in  the  spiritual  world,  bringing 
forth  "some  an  hundred  fold." 

In  the  following  chapter  we  will  give  a  (condensed) 
sermon  by  Brother  Updegraff,  illustrative  of  his  teaching 
on  the  subject  of  a  second  work  of  grace. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

STEPS   IN   THE   EXPERIENCE    OF   THE   APOSTLES. 

"  For  therein  is  the  righteousness  of  God  revealed  from  faith 
to  faith."— Romans  1 :  17. 

THE  apostles,  with  invariable  unanimity  throughout 
their  writings  and  testimonies,  present  the  subject 
of  spirittial  life,  not  only  as  progressive  in  its  character, 
but  as  progressing  by  separate  and  distinct  stages.  These 
stages,  marked  upon  the  human  side  by  distinct  acts  of 
faith,  and  upon  the  divine  side  by  the  bestowal  of  distinct- 
ive benefits  of  the  atonement;  these  resulting  in  distinctly 
marked  Christian  experiences,  as  indicated  by  Paul's  ref- 
erences to  "  babes  "  and  "  perfect  men,  "  and  by  John's 
classification  of  '* children,"  "  3^oung  men  "  and  "fathers." 

None  need  an  argument  to  establish  this  point,  nor 
further  citation  of  scripttiral  texts  to  show  that  the  apos- 
tles urged  progress,  nor  that  they  taught  progression  in 
distinctive  steps.  Btit  many  seem  unable  to  mark  these 
steps  in  the  experiences  of  the  apostles  themselves.  At 
least,  particularly  with  respect  to  the  two  great  epochs 
in  spirittial  life  so  clearly  and  constantly  held  before  our 
attention,  as  the  birth  of  the  Spirit,  and  the  baptism  with 
the  Spirit. 

Why  this  obscurity  we  cannot  tell,  unless  it  be  due, 

(144) 


STEPS  IN  EXPERIENCE.  145 

either  to  the  dullness  of  spiritual  perception  in  those  eyes 
which  have  not  received  the  second  touch,  or  to  the  errors 
and  misconceptions  which  prevail  in  our  times  in  the 
general  teaching  upon  spiritual  topics.  Certain  it  must 
be  that  the  apostles  had  taken  some  steps  in  spiritual  ex- 
perience before  the  day  of  Pentecost.  Certain  again  it 
must  be  that  they  took  some  other  step  on  that  memor- 
able day,  which  was  different  from  any  ever  taken  before, 
and  which  advanced  them  into  a  realm  quite  distinctive 
in  itself. 

Let  us,  then,  examine  "  whereunto  they  had  attained" 
before  the  day  of  Pentecost,  and  whereunto  they  were  ad- 
vanced at  the  day  of  Pentecost.  Or,  to  adopt  the  familiar 
language  of  the  inquiry:  (1)  "  When  were  the  apostles 
converted  ?  ' '  and  (2 j  ' '  Did  the  apostles  ever  receive  the 
second  blessing?" 

(1).  It  is  necessary,  first  of  all,  to  settle,  if  we  can,  upon 
the  time  when  the  apostles  were  "  converted."  A  claim 
that  they  were  ' '  sanctified  wholly ' '  before  Pentecost  could 
not  possibly  be  sustained,  and  is,  perhaps,  made  by  no 
one.  But  to  deny  that  they  were  "  converted  "  previous 
to  that  time,  involves  the  most  palpable  and  serious  con- 
tradictions, and  is  wholly  inadmissible.  We  think,  then, 
that  to  draw  the  line  between  their  partial  and  their  en- 
tire sanctification,  between  the  birth  of  the  spirit,  and 
their  "  baptism  with  the  Spirit,"  at  Pentecost,  is  to  be  true 
to  the  facts  in  their  case  as  made  plain  in  the  Scriptures, 
and  also  to  sound  doctrine  and  the  experience  of  God's 
people  in  all  ages.  "  But  if  the  disciples  were  '  converted  ' 
before  Pentecost,  and  really  justified  by  faith,  they  must 
have  heard  the  Gospel  and  received  it."  This  they  cer- 
tainly had  the  opportunity  of  doing  through  John  the 
Baptist.     It  is  distinctly  declared  in  Mark  1,  that  "  the 


146  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

beginning  of  the  Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  "  was  when  "John 
did  baptize  in  the  wilderness  and  preach  the  baptism  of 
repentance  unto  the  remission  of  sins."  That  was  ex- 
actly John's  commission — "  to  give  knowledge  of  salva- 
tion unto  his  people  b}^  the  remission  of  their  sins." 
And  this  is  accompanied  by  the  new  birth,  the  birth  of 
the  Spirit,  or  regeneration,  which  "  prepares  the  wa}^  of 
the  Lord."  Or,  it  is  that  state  which  is  necessarily  prec- 
edent to  the  "Baptism  with  the  Holy  Ghost,"  by  the 
Lord  Jesus. 

Jesus  Cometh  "after  me"  said  John,  and  His  work  is 
after  John's  work.  His  baptism  with  the  Spirit  '*  after  " 
John's  with  water ;  the  one  having  reference  to  repent- 
ance and  remission  of  sins,  the  other  to  "purge"  away 
sin,  or  to  sanctify.  Justification  by  faith  could  not  be  more 
explicitly  taught  than  it  was  by  John  to  his  disciples  in 
such  passages  as  John  3  :  36,  for  example  :  "  He  that  be- 
lieveth  on  the  Son  hath  everlasting  life;  and  he  that  be- 
lieveth  not  on  the  Son  shall  not  see  life ;  but  the  wrath 
of  God  abideth  on  him."  Some  of  John's  disciples  left 
him  and  * '  followed  Jesus  "  the  moment  they  first  "  heard 
Him  speak  "  and  "  abode  with  Him  that  day." 

Then  they  went  to  find  their  brethren,  and  brought 
them  to  JesuSj  who  welcomed  them  as  His  followers,  and 
commissioned  them  to  "  go,  preach,  saying,  the  kingdom 
of  heaven  is  at  hand.  Heal  the  sick,  cleanse  the  lepers, 
raise  the  dead,  cast  out  devils ;  freely  ye  have  received, 
freely  give."  "  Received"  what?  Manifestly  the  gospel 
of  their  salvation  !  ' '  And  whosoever  shall  not  receive  you, 
nor  hear  your  words,"  etc.,  "  it  shall  be  more  tolerable 
for  the  land  of  Sodom,"  etc.,  "  than  for  that  city."  "  Be- 
hold, I  send  you  forth  as  sheep  in  the  midst  of  wolves." 
Could  they  be  Christ's  "  sheep"  and  yet  "  unconverted?" 


STEPS  IN  EXPERIENCE.  147 

"  And  ye  shall  be  brought  before  governors  and  kings  for 
my  sake."  "  The  disciple  is  not  above  his  master,  nor  the 
servant  above  his  lord."  "  The  very  hairs  of  your  head 
are  all  numbered."  "He  that  receiveth  3'ou  receiveth 
me."  Is  it  conceivable  that  such  a  complete  identifica- 
tion with  the  Lord  Jesus  could  be  affirmed  of  the  uncon- 
verted Jew  ?  That  Jesus  was  thus  sending  forth  men  to 
preach  the  kingdom  of  God  to  those  who  were  yet  * '  sit- 
ting in  darkness  and  in  the  shadow  of  death?  " 

Can  any  reasonable  man  continue  to  believe  it  possible 
that  Jesus  could  be  thus  giving  meji  "  power  and  author- 
ity [over  devils,"  who  were  not  themselves  delivered? 
Were  "lost  sheep"  sent  to  hunt  lost  sheep,  the  sick  to 
heal  the  sick,  the  blind  to  heal  the  blind  ?  Such  a  thought 
is  preposterous,  and  contradicted  by  the  most  explicit  tes- 
timony of  our  Lord  himself.  "  Rejoice,"  said  He,  "  be- 
caUvSe  your  names  are  written  in  heaven."  "  Unto  you 
it  is  given  to  hold  the  mysteries  of  the  kingdom  of  God." 
' '  Ye  are  they  which  have  continued  with  me  in  my  temp- 
tations. And  I  appoint  unto  you  a  kingdom."  ' '  Thou 
gavest  them  me,"  "they  have  kept  thy  word,"  "they 
have  received"  "have  known,"  "have  believed,"  "for 
they  are  thine,"  "  and  I  am  glorified  in  them."  "  I  pray 
not  for  the  world,  but  for  them  which  thou  hast  given 
me."  "And  the  world  hath  hated  them  because  they  are 
not  of  the  world,  even  as  I  am  not  of  the  world." 

Now,  if  language  could  possibly  make  a  distinction  be- 
tween the  "world  (that)  hath  not  known  thee,"  "these 
(that)  have  known  thee,"  and  that  "  thou  hast  loved  them 
as  thou  hast  loved  me,"  then  surely  these  repeated  utter- 
ances of  the  Lord  Jesus  have  made  that  distinction  un- 
mistakably clear.  Then  on  the  human  side,  the  conse- 
cration of  these  disciples  to  the  work  of  the  Lord  Jesus  is 


148  MEMOIR  OF  DA  VID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

remarkably  evinced,  as  they  "  left  their  net.s  "  and  "  their 
father,"  and  "their  ship," — in  fact,  their  all — immedi- 
ately at  the  call  of  Jesus,  to  "  follow  "  Him  and  become 
"  fishers  of  men."  They  "rejected  the  tradition  of  the 
elders,  and  w^nt  through  the  towns  preaching  the  Gos- 
pel, and  healing  everywhere."  They  went  in  faith,  "  tak- 
ing nothing  for  their  journey,  neither  staves  nor  scrip, 
neither  bread,  neither  money,"  and  "  even  the  devils  were 
subject  unto  them." 

Surely  the  testimony  of  such  fruits  of  loyalty  to  Jesus 
ought  to  silence  and  rebuke  every  one  that  questions  the 
regeneration  of  these  men.  But  it  is  objected,  "  The  dis- 
ciples could  not  have  been  converted  before  Pentecost, 
because  the  Spirit  was  not  yet  given,  because  Jesus  w\as 
not  yet  glorified  !  "  This  is  to  confound  things  that  dif- 
fer. Certainly  "  the  Holy  Ghost  was  not  yet  given,"  in 
his  fullness  as  the  "  Comforter,"  as  the  "  Spirit  of  truth," 
as  the  ascension  ' '  gift ' '  of  the  Lord  Jesus  to  such  as  al- 
ready "obey  Him"— (Acts  5:  32).  True,  "the  Holy 
Ghost  was  not  yet  given"  as  the  "executive  of  the 
Godhead  ' '  and  the  successor  of  the  Lord  Jesus  in  be- 
coming the  head  of  the  dispensation  of  the  Spirit.  It  is 
only  in  such  a  sense  that  we  can  understand  these  words, 
and  that  the  peculiar  effusion  of  the  Spirit  that  was  "  the 
promise  of  the  Father,"  is  here  expressly  set  forth  as  yet 
a  matter  of  promise  ! 

But  it  is  equally  clear  and  demonstrable  that  in  a  wider 
sense  the  Spirit  was  given,  and  had  been  in  the  world, 
and  in  the  Old  Testament  church  from  the  beginning. 
**  He  moved  upon  the  face  of  the  waters."  He  inspired 
the  Old  Testament  prophets  and  writers  and  saints. 
Many  of  them  are  vSaid  to  have  been  filled  with  the  Holy 
Ghost.     John  the  Baptist  was  thus  "  filled,"   the  Lord 


STEPS  IN  EXPERIENCE.  149 

Jesus  was  thus  "  anointed,"  the  disciples  knew  Him,  and 
Jesus  testified  ''  He  dwelleth  with  you,  and  "  it  is  not  ye 
that  speak,  but  the  Spirit  of  your  Father  which  speaketh 
in  you."  Thus  it  was  that  through  the  Word  preached 
by  John  and  Jesus  and  the  disciples,  the  Spirit  wrought 
conviction  and  repentance  in  the  hearts  of  many  of  their 
hearers,  and  such  of  them  as  "  confessed  their  sins  "  and 
"  received  "  Jesus  were  forgiven  and  received  a  new  nat-^ 
ure  and  "  power  to  become  the  sons  of  God." 

"A  new  heart  will  I  give  you  and  a  new  (or  regenerate) 
spirit  will  I  put  within  3'ou,"  attests  the  presence  and  the 
regenerating  measure  of  the  Spirit's  working,  long  prior 
to  Pentecost.  All  that  is  needed,  then,  is  for  us  clearly 
to  distinguish  between  the  regenerating  work  of  the 
Spirit,  known  before  Pentecost,  and  His  infilling  and  in- 
dwelling presence  in  a  sense  unknown  until  then.  These 
two  are  complemental  parts  in  the  work  of  salvation,  but 
not  identical.  Neither  are  they  vSimultaneous,  but  suc- 
cessive; the  former  invariably  preceding  the  latter.  The 
beginning  of  life  must  always  be  distinguished  from  the 
perfection  and  fullness  of  life.  In  the  former  case,  the 
Spirit  works  first  2ip07i  men,  then  in  them.  In  the  latter 
case,  He  takes  personal  possession  of  their  "inward 
parts,"  and  works  through  them  for  the  salvation  of 
others.  In  view  of  the  simplicity,  beauty,  and  natural- 
ness of  this  divine  method ,  it  is  not  a  little  surprising 
that  there  should  be  any  dispute  whatever  about  it  among 
believers.  And  yet  we  must  remember  that  the  doctrines 
of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  even  His  work  in  regeneration 
and  witnessing  to  the  same,  have  been  almost  hidden, 
unknown,  and  dormant  for  ages,  not  only  before  but 
since  the  Reformation. 

(2).   If  we  have  now  succeeded  in  establishing  the  fact 


150  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

of  the  ' '  apostle's  conversion  ' '  before  Pentecost,  there  is 
but  little  required  to  * '  find  a  second  work  or  blessing 
coming  on  them  "  at  that  time. 

Nearly  three  years  before,  they  had  been  called,  ''or- 
dained ' '  and  commissioned  to  preach  the  Gospel  by  the 
Lord  Jesus,  and  great  success  had  attended  their  minis- 
try ;  but  they  had  not  yet  received  their  full  equipment 
for  the  intensifying  heat  of  the  oncoming  battle.  They 
had  "received  the  H0I3'  Ghost,"  but  not  in  his  personal 
fullness.  They  had  been  justified  freely,  but  not  "  sanc- 
tified wholly."  They  had  "been  born  of  the  Spirit" 
but  not  "baptized"  or  "filled  with  the  Spirit."  For 
this  they  had  "the  promise  of  the  Father,"  revived  by 
their^ascended  Lord,  and  for  their  "  sanctification  "  Jesus 
had  devoutly  prayed.  In  their  probationary  experience 
the}^  had  learned  some  lessons  of  great  importance.  There 
had  been  occasional  developments  of  a  spirit  of  selfish- 
ness, ambition,  contention,  jealousy,  and  mistaken  zeal. 
Some  of  them  really  thought  thej^  were  quite  as  ready  to 
"go  with  Jesus  both  to  prison  and  to  death"  as  they 
ever  would  be. 

But  in  this  and  in  some  other  things  they  needed  to  be 
"converted,"  or  have  a  complete  change  of  mind,  for 
when  the  test  came,  "they  all  forsook  Him  and  fled." 
To  be  sure,  they  had  no  directions,  and  could  not  possi- 
bly tell  what  was  the  best  thing  to  do,  especially  as  Jesus 
had  given  the  rabble  orders  to  "  let  these  go  their  way." 
But  the  outcropping  of  the  remaining  self-life  of  the 
"carnal  mind,"  reached  a  climax  in  the  denial  of  Peter. 
Intimidated,  perplexed  and  angered  by  a  malicious  and 
insolent  crew,  he  lied  and  swore,  just  as  many  another 
child  of  God  has  since  done  when  under  strong  provoca- 
tion.    But  not  always  do  they  repent  so  quickly  as  did 


STEPS  IN  EXPERIENCE.  151 

Peter,  and  weep  in  heart-broken  contrition,  as  he  met  the 
pitying  gaze  of  his  grieved,  yet  loving  and  forgiving  Lord. 
Such  an  experience  was  well  calculated  to  emphasize  the 
necessity  of  deliverance  from  every  inward  foe,  and  of 
tarr>dng  at  Jerusalem  for  the  promised  enduement  of 
power  from  on  high. 

He  was  a  most  suitable  man  to  ' '  strengthen  the  breth- 
ren "  in  this  purpose.  No  doubt  he  did  it.  They  waited 
and  they  received.  "Suddenly  there  came  a  sound  from 
heaven."  "And  they  were  all  filled  with  the  Holy 
Ghost."  "  God  purified  their  hearts."  "With  one  mind 
and  one  mouth  they  glorified  God."  Henceforth,  the 
transformation  in  their  lives  was  as  marked  and  marvel- 
ous as  it  had  previously  been  at  the  time  of  their  regener- 
ation. Faith,  courage,  and  love  were  made  "perfect," 
and  now  no  man  calls  anything  he  possesses  his  own. 
' '  Pentecost ' '  commemorated  the  giving  of  the  law  at 
Sinai,  and  it  was  the  fitting  time  for  the  Holy  Ghost  to 
write  it  in  the  hearts  and  minds  of  the  disciples.  It  was 
fifty  days  after  "  Passover,"  which  commemorated  deliv- 
erance from  death  and  judgment  by  the  blood  of  the 
Lamb.  And  just  as  "  Passover"  and  "  Pentecost"  are 
thus  separated,  so  our  personal  "  Passover  "  and  "  Pente- 
cost ' '  can  never  be  one  and  the  same  thing,  or  come  at 
the  same  time,  but  the  one  must  succeed  the  other  in  the 
very  nature  of  the  case.  The  temple  was  first  built,  then 
the  glor>^  of  the  Lord  filled  it.  So  He  first  builds  His 
spiritual  temple  in  us,  and  then,  if  wholly  consecrated  to 
Him,  His  Holy  Spirit  comes  in  to  purify  and  dwell  there, 
to  keep  and  to  guide  us,  and  to  glorify  Jesus. 

(3).  Once  more  we  may  briefly  show  that  the  same 
distinctions  in  Christian  experience  that  have  been  cited 
in  the  case  of  the  disciples  are  plainly  recognized  and 


152  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.  VPDEGRAFF. 

dealt  with  in  each  of  the  Epistles  and  churches  of  the 
New  Testament.  That  as  a  practical  fact,  Christians  are 
spoken  to  and  of,  who  are  distinctly  recognized  and  de- 
scribed as  such,  and  yet  just  as  distinctly  urged  to  be- 
come "sanctified  wholly"  or  to  be  "filled  with  the 
Spirit."  The  "  beloved  of  God  at  Rome  "  had  a  "  faith 
that  was  spoken  of  throughout  the  world,"  and  yet  they 
are  besought  to  "  present  their  bodies  a  living  sacrifice, 
holy  and  acceptable  unto  God."  "  The  church  of  God 
which  is  at  Corinth,  sanctified  in  Christ  Jesus,  called  to 
be  saints,"  recipients  of  "  the  grace  of  God,"  and  "  babes 
in  Christ,"  are,  nevertheless,  admonished  about  their 
"contentions,"  their  "  carnality,"  their  "walk  according 
to  man,"  and  several  accompanying  evils.  They  are 
taught  that  the  way  of  consecration  and  "perfect  holi- 
ness "  is  to  "  cleanse  themselves  from  all  filthiness  of  the 
flesh  and  spirit."  The  Galatians  had  been  "  called  unto 
the  grace  of  Christ,"  and  "begun  in  the  Spirit,"  but 
were  foolishly  endeavoring  to  be  "  made  perfect  by  the 
flesh,"  instead  of  being  "crucified  with  Christ"  and 
"  glorying  only  in  the  cross." 

' '  The  saints  which  are  at  Ephesus  and  the  faithful  in 
Christ  Jesus ' '  were  to  *  *  put  off  the  old  man  and  put  on 
the  new  man,"  and  to  "put  away  all  bitterness  and  evil 
speaking  with  all  malice,"  and  to  "be  filled  with  the 
Spirit." 

* '  The  saints  in  Christ  Jesus  which  are  at  Philippi ' '  are 
assured  that  "  He  which  begun  a  good  work  in  you  will 
perfect  it,"  "that  ye  may  be  blameless  and  harmless,  the 
sons  of  God  without  blemish." 

"  The  saints  and  faithful  brethren  in  Christ  which  are 
at  Colosse"  are  to  "  mortify  (make  dead)  therefore,  your 
members  which  are  upon   the  earth;   fornication,"  etc., 


STEPS  IN  EXPERIENCE,  153 

' '  that  ye  may  stand  perfect  and  complete  in  all  the  will 
of  God." 

"The  church  of  the  Thessalonians,"  who  had  received 
the  Gospel  "  in  power  and  in  the  Holy  Ghost,"  needed  to 
have  their  hearts  "  stablished  unblamable  in  holiness," 
and  to  be  "sanctified  wholly,"  and  for  this  Paul  earnestly 
prayed. 

The  Hebrews,  who  were  "partakers  of  the  heavenly 
calling ' '  were  to  ' '  take  heed,  lest  there  be  in  any  of  you 
an  evil  heart  of  unbelief ' '  and  to  ' '  follow  holiness  with- 
out which  no  man  shall  see  the  Lord." 

And  to  the  churches  in  Asia  the  Holy  Ghost  has  spoken 
to  precisely  the  same  effect,  holding  forth  to  believers 
their  "  acceptance  with  God,  "through  the  gift  and  "  grace 
of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ"  on  the  one  hand,  and  their 
still  remaining  inbred  sin  and  failure  on  the  other.  He 
thus  holds  in  wondrous  wisdom  the  even  balance  of  truth, 
with  its  encouragements,  and  warnings,  teaching  us  that 
all  our  need  shall  be  supplied  "  according  to  his  riches  in 
glory  by  Christ  Jesus,"  "  and  that  we  may  indeed  glorify 
God  in  our  bodies  and  our  spirits  which  are  His."  Holi- 
ness, then, — holiness  needed,  offered,  enjoined,  and  prom- 
ised,— is  to  be  obtained  through  the  blood  of  Jesus  Christ 
and  the  "Baptism  with  the  Holy  Ghost."  ''He  that 
hath  an  ear,  let  him  hear  what  the  Spirit  saith  unto  the 
churches. ' ' 


11 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

HIS   POSITION   ON   THE    CHURCH    QUESTION. 

"I  wist  not  brethren,  that  he  was  the  high  priest:  for  it  is 
written  thou  shalt  not  speak  evil  of  the  ruler  of  thy  people." — 
Acts  23 :  5. 

TTIyly  degenerations  among  Christians  evidence  them- 
Cl  selves  sooner  or  later,  surely  and  forcibly,  in  the 
rule  or  government  of  the  church.  Not  always  or  ever 
so  quickl}^,  in  its  legislation,  but  invariably  in  its  admin- 
istration. And  this  with  most  remarkable  inconsistency 
many  times;  for,  laxity  in  applying  discipline  to  the  rich 
and  those  who  are  socially'  influential,  often  goes  side  by 
side  with  the  most  intolerant  papacy  in  applying  strict- 
ures, prevention  and  punishment  to  those  whose  greatest 
riches  are  in  liberty  of  conscience,  and  freedom  in  giving 
utterance  to  a  full  and  fearless  Gospel. 

Romanism  itself  and  the  growth  of  Romish  tendencies 
in  the  periods  of  spiritual  declension  in  various  Protestant 
churches,  evidence  the  fact  that  nowhere,  in  all  the  fabric 
of  the  Christian  system,  is  remaining  carnality  in  believ- 
ers or  recurring  backslidings  among  professors,  more  cer- 
tain to  be  felt  and  seen  than  in  the  ambitions,  jealous- 
ies, covetousness,  love  of  power,  autocracy,  political  meth- 

(154) 


THE  CtiURCti  QUESTION.  155 

ods,  sectarianism,  intolerance,  bigotry,  etc.,  which  too  fre- 
quently characterize  the  legislative  bodies,  the  judicial 
tribunals  and  the  executive  offices  of  the  churches.  This 
is  predicated  of  no  one  particular  church  merely,  but  it 
is  true  of  churchism  the  world  over  and  the  generations 
long.  And  true  in  exact  ratio  with  the  carnality  of  men 
and  ministers,  and  most  true,  as  a  rule,  of  the  larger  and 
more  popular  churches,  since  these,  in  making  numbers 
and  social  position  their  ambition,  have  opened  their  doors 
the  wider  to  the  incoming  of  the  world,  and  have  lowered 
their  standard  of  doctrine  and  discipline  below  a  proper 
restraint  upon  carnality,  and  below  the  hope  of  its  com- 
plete destruction  in  this  life. 

Now,  the  experience  of  Christian  holiness  and  a  com- 
mission to  proclaim  it,  bring  one  at  once  into  a  distinct 
war  with  carnality  and  more  particularly^  with  sin  in  be- 
lievers; and  hence  is  opened  the  great  and  grave  church 
QUESTION  among  holiness  witnesses  and  advocates.  We 
have  already  alluded  to  our  having  heard  the  subject  of 
this  memoir  elucidate  and  emphasize  Ephesians  6:  12 — 
' '  We  wrestle  not  against  flesh  and  blood  .  .  .  but 
against  .  .  .  spiritual  wickedness  in  high  (or  heav- 
enly) places."  He  showed  very  clearly  and  quite  forci- 
bly that  these  high  places  were  not  in  the  atmosphere, 
nor  in  the  ' '  third  heavens, ' '  nor  in  some  intangible  form 
and  uncertain  place,  but  they  are  in  the  church.  The 
very  same  location  indicated  by  other  texts  which  speak 
of  our  "sitting  together  in  heavenl}^  places,"  etc.  Not 
that  holiness  has  any  war  with  the  church.  God  forbid! 
Nor  that  it  has  any  conflict  with  "the  powers  that  be," 
or  "  them  that  have  the  rule  over  us  in  the  Lord."  Nay, 
verily.  But  it  is  diametrically  opposed  to  sin.  It  is  spe- 
cially zealous  against  "  sin  in  believers."     And  as  a  con- 


UQ         MEMOm  OP  DAVID  B.  UPDEGRAPP. 

sequence,  a  revival  of  holiness  in  a  church,  which  is  in 
any  measure  degenerate,  will  precipitate  a  conflict  similar 
to  what  has  been  experienced  in  the  individual  heart. 
"The  flesh  lusting  against  the  Spirit,  and  the  Spirit 
against  the  flesh."  There  is  a  manifest  contrariness. 
"  These  are  contrary  the  one  to  the  other."  To  the  one 
the  other  seems  stubborn;  to  the  other  the  one  seems  per- 
verse. Sectarianism,  priestly  domination,  worldly  meth- 
ods of  church  finance,  politics,  etc.,  distress  the  wholly 
sanctified;  and  the  simplicity,  spirituality,  deadness  to 
the  world,  revivalism,  zeal  for  holiness,  etc.,  of  the  pure 
in  heart  grate  upon  those  who  mistake  churchism  and 
churchianity  for  the  church  itself;  and  who  confound 
the  .selfish  usurpation  of  power  over  the  consciences 
and  liberties  of  others,  upon  the  part  of  ambitious  pre- 
lates, with  a  just  and  holy  oversight  of  the  house  of 
God. 

We  look  with  much  interest  at  David  Updegraff's  atti- 
tude and  course  in  this  matter  ;  for  we  believe  it  may  serve 
as  a  precedent  for  many  who  are  in  bewilderment.  And 
we  remark,  in  the  first  place,  that  he  yielded  to  no  tempta- 
tion to  become  a  church  anarchist.  Some  have  done  this, 
we  fear.  They  have  resisted  rightful  authority.  They 
have  spoken  evil  of  dignitaries.  They  have  broken  away 
from  the  wholesome  restraint  of  all  church  government. 
They  have  ruthlessly  sacrificed  the  protection  of  ecclesi- 
astical law.  They  have  made  the  blunder  of  denying 
and  decrying  any  and  all  visible  church  organization  and 
authority.  No  so,  David.  Though  no  man  more  than  he 
was  conscious  of  the  sham,  and  shallowness,  and  show, 
of  much  church  life,  no  man  more  than  he  could  see  and 
feel  the  injustice,  the  intolerance,  the  unmercifulness  of 
degenerate,  decayed  and  defiled  ecclesiasticism.      And  he 


THE  CHURCH  QUESTION.  157 

had  too  great  a  soul  to  view  and  regard  this  only  in  its 
bearings  upon  the  individual  rights  and  peace  and  happi- 
ness. He  could  see  and  estimate  its  effects  upon  the  king- 
dom of  Christ,  upon  the  spread  of  holiness,  upon  the  evan- 
gelization of  the  world.  Such  a  nature  as  his,  so  heroic, 
so  magnanimous,  so  indignant  at  injustice,  might  easily 
have  mistaken  impatience  for  a  commission  to  release 
himself  and  others  from  the  apparent  drawbacks  and  dis- 
advantages of  submission.  But  grace  held  him,  the  Spirit 
of  God  directed  him.  The  love  of  Christ  constrained  him. 
He  could  be  content  with  what  Providence  allowed,  with- 
out compromise  wdtli  what  carnality  occasioned.  He  could 
rebuke  ecclesiastical  corruption  without  losing  respect  for 
the  church,  and  without  leading  others  to  lose  respect  for 
it.  Happy  art !  Holy  accomplishment !  None  but  one 
filled  with  the  Spirit  could  so  discriminate,  and  maintain 
a  course  consistent  herewith. 

In  the  second  place,  David  Updegraff  never  evinced 
the  slightest  zeal  or  inclination  to  form  a  new  church. 
Though  there  may  have  seemed  occasion  and  very  favor- 
able opportunity,  it  never  entered  his  mind  or  heart.  He 
was  preserved  from  the  error  of  some  in  supposing  that 
a  new  denomination  built  upon  the  plane  of  a  required 
sanctification  as  a  condition  of  membership,  would  solve 
the  problem  of  holiness  in  connection  with  ecclesiasticism. 
He  never  even  seemed  to  think  that  his  supreme  mission 
as  a  sanctified  leader  was  to  rebuke  the  abuses  and  cor- 
ruptions of  those  in  authority,  though  he  observed  them 
and  bore  fitting  testimony  concerning  them.  His  mission 
was  neither  that  of  the  construction  of  a  new  church,  nor 
the  destruction  of  an  old  one.  It  was  a  mission  of  life 
and  love  and  liberty  to  the  individual  heart,  and  of  church 
life  and  love  and  liberty,  just  in  proportion  as  the  indi- 


158        MEMOIR  OF  D Avid  B.  UPDEGRAFF- 

vidual  members  entered  the  same.  Holiness  is  death  to 
sectism  in  two  ways.  First,  by  killing  zeal  for  sectarian 
enterprise.  Second,  by  killing  that  within  the  church 
upon  which  sectarianism  thrives.  But  it  never  kills  sec- 
tarianism by  a  direct  war  upon  any  of  the  sects,  nor  by 
the  formation  of  a  new  sect  for  itself. 

We  might  remark,  in  the  third  place,  that  Brother  Up- 
degraff  never  dreamt  of  solving  the  ecclesiastical  difficul- 
ties in  the  way  of  a  holy  life  and  ministry,  by  changing 
from  one  church  to  another.  There  may  be  individual 
cases,  and  local  conditions,  under  which  such  changes 
may,  in  some  instances,  be  advantageous.  But  in  the 
very  nature  of  the  case,  there  can  never  be  either  a  call 
that  such  a  transfer  should  be  general,  nor  a  hope  that  it 
will  produce  a  permanent  cure  of  the  evils  sought  to  be 
corrected.  That  God  may,  in  different  generations,  raise 
up  a  Luther  to  found  Protestantism,  or  a  Fox  to  establish 
the  Society  of  Friends,  or  a  Wesley  to  inaugurate  a  revi- 
valistic  movement  that  should  later  become  one  of  the 
churches,  we  cannot  dispute.  But  David  UpdegrafF  was 
conscious  of  no  such  commission,  and  he  was  too  sensible 
to  expect  to  find  in  any  of  the  churches  an  ecclesiasticism 
more  spiritual  than  the  church  itself. 

But  he  abode  in  the  same  calling  wherein  grace  found 
him.  Notwithstanding  the  conservatism  which  stood  in 
his  way,  and  the  absence  of  spirituality  in  many  of  those 
who  had  the  pre-eminence  and  the  rule,  he,  nevertheless, 
found  ecclesiastical  recognition  and  authority  as  a  minis- 
ter, which  gave  him  many  open  doors,  and  which  resulted 
in  untold  benefits  and  blessings  to  the  people  and  the  ec- 
clesiasticism with  which  he  was  identified.  There  is  to- 
day a  better  type  of  evangelical  Christianity  in  the  Ohio 
Yearly  Meeting  of  Friends,  many  times  better,  than  when 


THE  CHURCH  QUESTION.  159 

he  began  his  ministry.  And  this  spiritual  improvement  is 
shared  by  other  meetings  in  proportion  as  his  opportuni- 
ties and  influence  were  extended  beyond  the  limits  of  his 
own  meeting.  We  believe  there  is  wisdom  in  the  study 
of  his  course  and  its  consequences  here,  for  those  of  us 
who  encounter  difficulties  similar  to  those  which  con- 
fronted him  from  men  of  power  in  the  church. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

INTERDENOMINATIONAL   WORK. 

**  I  am  a  debtor  both  to  the  Greeks  and  to  the  Barbarians  ;  both 
to  the  wise  and  to  the  unwise." — Rom.  1 :  15. 

WE  liave  already  alluded  to  the  fact  that  as  an  am- 
bassador of  Holiness  he  became  an  apostle,  or, 
rather,  a  pattern  and  a  promoter  of  the  highest  type  of 
Christian  unity.  This,  however,  let  it  be  known,  with 
no  sort  of  defect  in  his  allegiance  to  his  own  church.  On 
the  contrary,  those  of  us  who  were  sometimes  nearest 
him  in  his  most  popular  and  powerful  work  among  the 
churches,  can  bear  testimony  that  "  his  heart's  desire 
and  prayer  to  God  for  Israel  was  that  they  might  be 
saved." 

When  doors  opened  among  the  Friends  (though  some- 
times at  a  lesser  apparent  advantage)  they  always  had  the 
preference  over  others.  In  fact,  during  the  early  3^ears 
of  his  evangelistic  work,  his  labors  were  almost  wholly 
confined  to  the  Friends'  church.  The  tidal  wave  of  spir- 
itual power  that  had  set  in  upon  his  own  people,  made 
such  demand  upon  his  time  and  strength  that,  to  go  be- 
yond them,  was  out  of  the  question. 

The  Christian  Worker  (a  Friend's  journal)  has  this  to 
say  concerning  him  and  his  relation  to  the  great  revival 
among  the  Friends:  "  His  great  breadth  of  mind,  sound 

(160) 


INTERDENOMINATIONAL  WORK.  161 

common  sense,  keen  perceptions,  ready  grasping  of  facts, 
wide  knowledge  of  character,  remarkable  gift  of  humor, 
his  clear-cut  illustrations  in  preaching,  and  evident  pres- 
ence of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  his  heart  and  w^ork  have  ren- 
dered his  ministry  phenomenal  in  his  own  church.  And  he 
has  been  among  the  most  approved  in  bringing  about  the 
extensive  revival  of  evangelical  religion  with  which  the 
Friends'  church  has  been  blessed  in  various  localities  for 
the  last  twenty  years.  His  ministry  is  in  the  power  of 
the  Holy  Ghost,  and  wonderfully  blessed  to  the  saving  of 
sinners  and  the  sanctification  of  believers.  As  a  public 
teacher  of  evangelical  truth,  and  a  manipulator  of  meet- 
ings held  for  the  promotion  of  holiness,  he  has  few  equals, 
and,  perhaps,  no  superior.  Of  late  his  work  has  ex- 
tended greatly  among  other  denominations,  and  his  wide 
experience  and  versatile  gifts  have  opened  for  him  a  re- 
markable field  of  usefulness.  And  through  faithful  obe- 
dience '  to  the  Heavenly  Call '  David  UpdegrafF  has  been 
the  instrument,  in  the  hands  of  the  Lord,  of  leading 
multitudes  into  the  light  and  liberty  of  the  Gospel  of 
Christ." 

Regularly,  for  many  years,  he  journeyed  to  Philadel- 
phia, at  the  time  of  the  Friend's  Yearly  Meeting  there,  to 
conduct  meetings  for  spiritual  profit  in  the  parlors  of  that 
elect  lady,  Elizabeth  Farnum,  who  opened  her  house  at 
these  times  that  her  own  people,  as  well  as  others,  might 
share  the  blessings  of  his  ministry. 

At  all  our  great  camp-meetings  he  manifested  a  pecul- 
iar interest  in  Friends,  who,  drawn  by  the  announcement 
that  he  would  be  there,  or  by  their  general  interest  in 
these  great  themes,  had  come  to  the  feast  of  tabernacles. 
At  his  own  home  church  he  would  serve  the  very  cream 
of  the  products  of  this  goodly  land,  and  besides  this, 
watch  every  opportunity  to  bring  in  fellow-laborers  from 


162  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

abroad,   to  give    his  people  the    best   of  everything    he 
found,  as  well  as  the  best  of  what  he  himself  had. 

Yet,  notwithstanding  this  loyalty  and  love  for  his  own 
"  tribe  "  (as  he  would  sometimes  playfully,  speak  of  it), 
the  church  at  large  felt,  and  he  felt]  that  he,  in  a  sense, 
belonged  to  us  all.  Here  is  a  Friend's  testimony  to  his 
interdenominational  work:  "From  this  time  he  went 
forth  as  God's  gift  to  the  entire  church — too  grand  and 
too  broad  to  be  limited  by  any  one  denomination — and 
oh,  how  eagerly  his  message  of  full  salvation  was  re- 
ceived by  Methodists,  Baptists,  Presbyterians,  Episcopa- 
lians, and  many  others." 

We  might  remark  here  that  the  interdenominational 
type  of  this  modern  holiness  revival  is  calculated  to  bring 
out  more  clearly  and  conspicuously  what  w^e  think  is  a 
just  distinction  between  sectarianism  and  denominational- 
ism.  That  there  is,  at  least,  a  permissive  Providence  un- 
derlying the  history  and  sustaining  the  existence  of  the 
several  distinct  denominational  bodies  of  Christians,  we 
have  no  doubt.  But  that  the  exaltation  of  "  our  "  church 
as  "the"  church,  or  above  or  against  the  church  as  a 
whole,  or  other  denominations  in  particular,  is  a  crime 
against  our  fellow-man  and  a  sin  against  God,  must  be 
more  and  more  evident  as  one  drinks  in  of  the  fullness  of 
the  spirit  of  unity,  and  the  completeness  of  Christian  love. 

The  demand  for  a  Holy  Ghost  ministry  supplies  the 
key  to  unlock  doors  that  are  otherwise  barred  against 
those  who  march  under  other  tribal  banners  The  grace 
of  perfect  love  impels  men  to  press  out  beyond  the  bound- 
aries of  their  own  respective  churches  with  the  Gospel  of 
this  great  salvation  to  the  whole  family  of  God.  Secta- 
rianism has  its  root  and  its  nourishment  in  carnality,  and 
holiness  is  death  to  this — root  and  branch. 


INTERDENOMINATIONAL  WORK.  163 

With  the  spread  of  the  hoUness  movement  there  is  sure 
to  be,  and  already  is,  a  decline  of  sectarianism.  An  ad- 
vocate of  holiness  may  not  please  the  remaining  bigots  in 
his  church  by  obliterating  sectarian  lines  thus  and  minis- 
tering to  all  aright,  but  it  is  the  universal  experience  of 
those  who  possess  this  grace  that  they  must  minister  the 
same  to  all  God's  people  alike. 

The  holiness  conventions  and  camp-meetings  particu- 
larly welcomed  Brother  Updegraff  to  this  interdenomina- 
tional work.  Here  Episcopalians,  Baptists,  Presbyterians, 
and  others  mingled  with  Methodists  to  w^ait  upon  the 
Lord  in  the  tented  grove.  Here  he  never  obtruded  "fam- 
ily matters,"  as  he  would  call  them,  of  his  own  church; 
nor  did  he  foster  in  others  any  disposition  to  do  so ;  nor 
to  a  discontent,  as  though  they  could  not  live  a  holy  life 
in  their  church ;  nor  to  a  censorious  spirit,  complaining 
of  their  lack  of  liberties  or  of  their  oppression  there. 
*'  What  shall  one  do?  "  demanded  a  brother  in  open  serv- 
ice at  a  camp-meeting,  with  the  appetite  which  this  experi- 
ence creates,  * '  when  he  only  gets  hard  tack  and  bean  soup 
at  home?"  "  Burst  in  the  cupboard  and  help  yourself. 
Next !  "  w^as  his  quick  rejoinder.  One  so  aggressive,  so 
independent,  and  so  ardent  m  his  protests  against  eccle- 
siastical intolerance  might  easily  sound  the  cry  of  "  Come- 
outism,"  which  is  a  kind  of  church  socialism  or  anarchy. 
But  no !  his  judicious  head  was  as  cool  as  his  loving  heart 
was  warm.  The  farthest  he  ever  went  was  to  invite  peo- 
ple out  for  an  occasional  meal  from  home,  telling  them 
that  "  a  change  from  home  cooking  w^as  wholesome  as 
well  as  pleasant  for  almost  anybody."  This,  indeed, 
seems  to  be  the  Providential  relation  of  these  holiness 
meetings  to  the  churches.  Not  designed  to  build  up  or 
tear  down,  but  to  supplement   and  uplift.     Not  able  to 


164  MEMOIR  OF  DA  VI D  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

effect  church  unity  by  organization  for  that  end;  but  to 
promote  it  by  creating  greater  opportunities  for  the  One 
Spirit  to  operate  in  all  the  churches.  Various  sub-organ- 
izations of  the  church  have  grown  up  in  our  times  to  sup- 
plement her  work  in  different  specific  directions.  Y.  M. 
C.  As.  for  the  interests  of  young  men;  W.  C.  T.  Us.  to 
forward  Temperance  reform,  etc.  These  are  like  differ- 
ent members  of  the  body,  each  filling  a  place  and  doing 
good  work.  But  the  simplest  of  all  these  auxiliary  organ- 
izations, and  the  one  closest  to  the  heart  and  mightiest 
in  its  effect  and  blessings,  is  that  w^hich  spreads  Christian 
holiness  by  the  employment  of  evangelists,  the  holding  of 
conventions,  assemblies,  and  camp-meetings,  the  circula- 
tion of  literature,  etc.,  for  the  promulgation  of  the  doc- 
trine, the  witnessing  to  the  experience,  and  removal  of 
obstacles  and  furnishing  of  opportunities  for  God's  people 
to  enter  in. 

We  might  mention  many  of  the  meetings  in  which 
David  Updegraff  was,  from  time  to  time,  called  to  preach 
the  truth  and  lead  the  people  over  the  Jordan,  but  w^e  can 
do  this  better  by  giving  the  reader  his  own  brief  field 
notes  of  a  single  summer's  campaign,  extracted  from  the 
"Friends'  Expositor:" 

"  field  notes. 

[Page  588.] 

''More  properly  they  might  be  called  notes  of  the  field, 
since  we  have  not  even  made  a  memoranda  of  anything 
at  the  time,  and  must  depend  on  memory  and  the  Chris- 
tian Standard,  as  we  give  our  readers  just  a  glimpse 
into  the  various  meetings  in  which  we  have  principally 
been  engaged  for  the  past  three  months.     We  are  cau- 


INTERDENOMINATIONAL  IVORI^,  165 

tious  in  the  use  of  superlatives,  yet  we  trust  that  it  is 
true,  when  w^e  say  that  it  has  been  the  best  summer's 
work  we  have  ever  known.  We  have  been  careful  for 
nothing,  but  to  know  God's  will  and  do  it.  We  have  not 
spared  ourselves,  but  strength  has  been  graciously  be- 
stowed and  we  have  lacked  for  nothing.  Physical  health 
has  been  almost  perfect,  though  we  have  stood  in  front 
of  the  battle  from  early  morning  until  the  doxology  at 
night,  nearly  all  the  time  and  sometimes  preaching  three 
times  a  day.  Praise  God  '  that  the  life  also  of  Jesus  may 
be  made  manifest  in  our  mortal  flesh.'  The  kindness, 
cooperation,  and  confidence  of  fellow- ministers  of  all  de- 
nominations could  hardly  be  exceeded.  Perfect  love  has 
had  right  of  way  and  has  marvelously  seemed  to  pervade 
ever}^  place  and  everybody.  We  have  been  graciously 
helped  of  God  in  preaching  to  more  people  than  ever  be- 
fore, and  though  we  have  no  record  of  numbers,  we 
know  that  multitudes  have  found  gracious  answ^ers  to 
their  prayers,  and  w^e  have  not  seen  a  single  barren  serv- 
ice.    To  God  be  all  the  praise. 

"Our  ten  days  in  Pittsburg,  Pennsylvania,  were  di- 
vided between  the  Holiness  Convention  in  Liberty  street 
church,  and  our  friends  of  the  Butler  street  M.  E.  church, 
Rev.  W.  F.  Oldham,  pastor.  In  the  former,  we  were  as- 
sociated with  Brothers  Pepper,  Smith,  Walker,  Hudson, 
McKee,  and  other  dear  brethren  in  a  meeting  of  great 
profit  and  blessing  to  all  in  attendance.  At  Butler  street 
we  also  held  a  few  meetings,  assisted  by  Brother  Walker, 
with  a  good  degree  of  blessing  and  profit,  especially  so, 
when  the  excessive  heat  was  taken  into  the  account. 
Pastor  Oldham  says,  '  More  than  one  precious  bark  that 
had  for  years  been  hugging  the  shore  was  pushed  off  into 
the  deep  waters  of  Gospel  fullness  at  these  meetings. ' 


166  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

It  was  here  that  our  dear  brother,  Rev.  E.  F.  Walker,  of 
Fort  Collins  Presbyterian  church,  Colorado,  joined  us 
according  to  a  previous  understanding.  It  was  our  great 
pleasure  here  to  enjoy  the  hospitality  of  our  valued 
friends,  the  Carnahans,  the  Neelds,  the  Robinsons,  the 
Dodges,  and  the  Dennetts  from  New  York. 

**  At  Glenolden,  Pennsylvania,  on  June  20th,  in  com- 
pany with  Brother  Walker,  we  began  a  nine  days'  meet- 
ing with  our  dear  brother,  Rev.  E.  O.  McFarland,  pastor 
of  the  Presbyterian  church,  in  this  beautiful  suburb  of 
Philadelphia.  Services  were  held  in  the  grove  just  in 
front  of  the  church.  An  ample  platform  for  preachers  and 
singers,  and  seats  enough  for  a  very  large  audience,  and 
the  whole  beautifully  furnished  with  electric  lights,  had 
all  been  arranged  and  provided  by  the  courageous  faith  of 
Pastor  McFarland.  The  attendance  was  good  from  the 
beginning  and  increased  to  the  close.  Rev.  F.  E.  Smiley 
and  other  neighboring  ministers  took  an  acceptable  part 
in  the  work.  The  word  of  the  Lord  had  free  course,  and 
as  one  of  the  brethren  puts  it,  'Many  souls  were  con- 
verted, many  Christians  were  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost, 
and  man}^  more  were  left  with  the  blessing  of  hunger  and 
thirst  after  righteousness.'  The  hospitality  of  Elder 
Knowles  and  Brother  and  Sister  McFarland  was  un- 
bounded, and  Mrs.  McFarland 's  faithful  service  at  the 
organ,  and  in  every  good  work,  was  most  highly  ap- 
preciated. To  the  admirable  courage,  indomitable  en- 
ergy, and  consecrated  zeal  of  Brother  McFarland  and 
his  devoted  wife  is  largely  due  the  blessing  and  success 
of  this  meeting,  all  of  which  we  record  for  the  glory  of 
God. 

"  The  Mountan  Lake  Park  Meeting  began  on  the 
4th  of  July.    Or,  it  really  began  in  the  prayer  meeting  the 


INTERDENOMINATIONAL   WORK.  167 

evening  previous,  where  the  attendance  was  large  and  the 
spirit  of  the  meeting  was  excellent  and  fruitful.  The 
morning  of  the  fourth  was  an  ideal  one,  even  for  Mount- 
ain Lake  Park.  This  was  the  largest  of  an}^  of  the  seven 
opening  meetings  held  on  this  ground.  The  compan}^ 
w^as  easily  seen  to  be  a  representative  one.  Our  beloved 
John  Thompson  was  in  his  happiest  vein,  making  a  few 
opening  remarks  full  of  hope  and  courage  and  kindly 
commending  us  as  leader  of  the  meeting  to  the  Holy 
Ghost  for  wisdom  and  guidance,  and  to  their  loving  sup- 
port and  sympathy.  Brief  salutations,  testimonies  and 
prayers  followed  until  an  invitation  to  the  altar  was  ac- 
cepted by  more  than  thirty  persons,  and  this  first  service 
closed  in  victory  and  blessing  for  many.  The  greetings 
among  so  many  dear  brethren  and  sisters  were  never 
more  cordial.  The  crowd  of  those  usuallj^  present  at 
this  camp-meeting  seemed  in  no  wise  diminished,  while 
the  number  here  for  the  first  time  was  greatly  increased. 
Brothers  Pepper,  Carter,  Smith,  Clark,  Walker,  Conner, 
Boole,  Friend,  Hadley,  Grob,  Davis,  Ogle,  Gilmour,  Hud- 
son, McKee,  and  sisters  Williams,  Kenney,  Boyd,  Boole, 
Mills,  Sharp,  Neeld,  Small,  Downey,  Boj^d,  Amanda 
Smith  and  many  other  workers,  evangelists  and  minis- 
ters, whose  names  do  not  occur  at  this  moment,  were 
present  this  first  day  of  the  meeting.  Brothers  Keene, 
Boyle,  Husse}^  brother  and  sister  Willing,  and  many 
others,  arrived  a  little  later.  They  all  came  in  the  full- 
ness of  the  blessing  of  the^ gospel,  and  were  used  by  the 
Holy  Ghost  for  the  help  of  others.  Their  various  gifts 
were  exercised  for  the  profit  of  all  in  the  public  services, 
with  freedom  and  power,  as  the  Lord  seemed  to  call  for 
them,  and  with  great  acceptance  to  the  people.  The  most 
delightful  unit}'  and  harmony  prevailed.     There  were  no 


168  MEMOIR  OP  DAVID  JB.  UPDECkAFP 

jealousies,  or  striving  for  chief  seats,  but  preferring  one 
another  in  love.  The  whole  meeting  was  one  grand  love 
feast.  The  preaching  was  of  the  highest  order,  and  on 
deeply  spiritual  lines.  The  exhortations  and  prayers,  and 
sermonettes,  and  songs  and  testimonies,  were  in  the  Spirit, 
and  most  effective  in  results.  To  the  large  number  of 
beloved  brethren  and  sisters  who  were  so  cordial  and 
tireless  in  their  co-operation  throughout  these  gracious 
services,  we  extend  the  heartiest  thanks,  and  our  appre- 
ciation of  their  loving  forbearance  and  kindness.  We 
cannot  particularize  here,  but  clip  a  few  *  nuggets  '  else- 
where. The  work  of  conversion  and  sanctification  went 
steadily  forward  with  increasing  power  throughout  the 
meeting.  Thus,  to  a  great  many  persons,  this  was  the 
'  best  camp-meeting  '  they  ever  attended,  and  it  was  good 
e7ioiigh  for  the  rest  of  us.  To  God  be  all  the  glory  for 
another  most  blessed  meeting  at  Mountain  I.ake  Park. 

"  Eaton  Rapids,  Mich.,  w^as  our  next  meeting.  We.- 
began  on  the  23d  day  of  July,  closing  August  2d.  We 
found  here  a  large  body  of  solid  Christian  men  and  women, 
a  good  portion  of  whom  w^ere  in  the  light  of  full  salva- 
tion. This  Michigan  Holiness  Association  is  one  of  the 
best  organized  and  equipped  that  we  have  seen.  Rev. 
W.  T.  Cogshall,  of  Kalamazoo,  was  the  President,  and 
Rev.  M.  M.  Callen,  of  Jackson,  Secretary,  Chorister, 
Chairman  of  Committee  on  Public  Worship,  etc.  Their 
grounds  are  well  chosen,  bounded  on  one  side  by  the 
beautiful  Grand  river,  and  well  built  up  with  substantial 
cottages.  We  were  joined  by  our  special  co-laborers  for 
this  meeting.  Rev.  Enoch  Stubbs,  of  Philadelphia,  and 
Major  J.  H.  Cole,  of  Adrian,  Bishop  Mallalieu,  Dr.  Potts, 
and  others  came  in  most  acceptably  as  the  meeting  pro- 
gressed.    Holiness  had   right  of  way  here  from  the  be. 


INTERDENOMINATIONAL   WORK.  169 

ginning,  and  the  work  of  sanctification  and  justification 
went  forward  together  in  every  service.  There  was  a  good 
proportion  of  conversions  among  the  large  number  that 
were  blessed  at  the  altar  in  the  different  meetings  during 
the  series.  The  number  of  young  preachers  baptized  with 
the  Holy  Ghost  was  rather  larger  than  usual,  w^e  think. 
The  brethren  were  most  cordial  in  their  co-operation,  and 
fraternal  sympathy  and  unity  prevailed.  All  denomin- 
ations were  represented,  but  the  lines  were  invisible.  Our 
association  with  the  brethren  and  sisters  who  labored  in 
word  and  doctrine  was  delightful  and  profitable,  and  we 
do  thank  the  Lord  for  the  meeting  at  Eaton  Rapids. 

*  *  Pitman  Grove  was  reached  early  on  the  7th  of 
August,  and  we  were  glad  to  learn  that  the  meeting  was 
going  well,  under  the  care  of  Presiding  Elder  Relyea. 
Doctor  Jones  and  others  had  been  preaching  for  a  week, 
and  we  found  a  large  number  of  choice  workers  on  the 
ground.  We  were  soon  reinforced,  too,  by  the  coming  of 
Captain  Carter,  Doctor  Clark  and  others.  From  the  first 
moment,  we  were  made  to  feel  our  cordial  welcome  to 
the  hearts  of  the  people,  and  by  the  dear  brethren  of  the 
Association.  Nothing  could  exceed  the  cordial  transfer 
of  leadership,  by  our  esteemed  Brother  Relyea.  In  a  few 
well  chosen  words  of  fraternal  love  and  welcome,  he  com- 
mended us  to  the  confidence,  of  the  people,  and  invoked 
the  blessing  of  God  upon  all  of  the  future  meetings.  We 
were  made  to  feel  the  warm  response  of  the  congregation 
and  ministers  present,  and  preached  our  installation  ser- 
mon at  once,  with  much  liberty  and  blessing  to  our  own 
soul  at  least.  There  were  the  Tent  meeting  as  usual  in 
the  early  morning,  noon  and  evening,  led  by  Brother 
Stocton,  Sisters  Smith,  Kenney,  Boyd  and  Van  Name — 
meetings  of  great  freedom,  power  and  blessing,  without 


170  MEMOIR  OF  DA  VID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

an  exception.  The  young  people's  meeting,  led  by 
Brother  Lyon,  and  the  childrens'  meetings,  in  charge  of 
Brother  and  Sister  Thompson  were  also  very  effective  and 
fruitful.  Then  in  the  great  auditorium  the  meeting  was 
almost  continuous  from  8:  30  A.  m.  to  10  p.  m,,  held  with 
a  variety,  freedom  and  power  that  is  rarely  to  be  found  in 
any  other  great  camp-meeting.  And  this  is  a  '  great ' 
meeting.  It  is  unique  in  this  respect.  Thousands  are 
pouring  in  day  and  night  from  Philadelphia,  and  neigh- 
boring towns,  besides  those  living  on  the  ground,  who 
come  to  the  meetijig.  The  attractions  of  popular  sea-side 
resorts  are  not  the  object  here.  Preaching  tournaments 
by  star  preachers  are  not  encouraged  nor  provided  for  by 
the  management  of  Pitman  Grove.  Their  supreme  object 
seems  to  be  that  all  of  the  meetings  shall  be  held  in  the 
'  power  '  of  God,  and  that  '  Pitman  Grove  and  power  ' 
shall  always  be  synonyms.  While  the  Association  has 
such  men  as  Walton,  Brown,  Williams,  Cassady,  and  other 
associates  at  the  front,  encouraged  and  assisted  by  Elder 
Relyea  and  the  noble  band  of  men  in  the  New  Jersey 
Conference,  Pitman  Grove  can  never  be  surpassed  in  the 
true  excellence  of  its  ministry,  the  zeal  of  its  workers, 
and  the  extent  and  thoroughness  of  the  work  accom- 
plished. Doctor  Gilmour  is  unexcelled  as  a  leader  of  song, 
and  the  music  this  year  was  '  better  than  ever,'  we  belieX^e 
was  the  general  verdict.  The  closing  service  was  an  oc- 
casion to  be  remembered.  The  prayers  and  praises,  and 
songs,  and  parting  w^ords,  and  tears,  and  tender  good- 
byes, all  combined  to  impress  the  eager  multitude  with  a 
sense  of  the  power  of  religion  to  make  human  hearts 
happy  and  lo\dng.  Thus  closed  our  sixth  year  at  Pitman 
Grove  Camp-meeting,  and  we  acknowledge  to  have  felt 
deeply  moved  at  the  overwhelmingly  kind   and  hearty 


INTERDENOMINATIONAL   WORK.  171 

invitation  to  return  next  year.  We  could  say  no  other 
than  '  If  the  Lord  will.' 

"To  Greenville,  Pa.,  we  came  next,  after  a  brief 
and  much  needed  rest  at  Ocean  Grove  with  loved  ones 
there.  It  was  our  privilege,  on  several  occasions  before 
leaving,  to  lead  Mrs.  Palmer's  Holiness  meetings  in  the 
Tabernacle,  which  the  dear  Lord  graciously  owned.  We 
reached  the  camp  at  Greenville  merely  for  the  closing 
days.  But  we  found  a  beautiful  little  city  in  the  valley, 
and  an  excellent  meeting  going  on  in  charge  of  Brother 
Burchfield.  The  people  were  eager  to  listen  and  prompt 
to  respond  to  invitations  to  seek  the  Lord.  The  days  we 
spent  there  were,  we  think,  very  profitable,  and  not  a  few 
found  the  blessings  they  sought.  We  were  glad  to  make 
the  acquaintance  of  many  dear  brethren  whom  we  had 
never  met  before;  and  also  to  meet  a  few  valued  friends 
of  former  years.  At  the  close  we  thankfully  turned  our 
face  homeward. 

' '  Ohio  Yearly  Meeting  began  in  a  few  days  after 
reaching  home,  and  we  w^ere  glad  to  welcome  the  dear 
brethren  and  sisters  who  came  flocking  in  from  far  and 
near,  to  this  great  annual  feast.  A  goodly  number  of  our 
own  ministers  came,  and  some  dear  brethren  from  other 
Yearly  Meetings.  John  Henry  Douglas  from  Iowa,  and 
yet  not  a  stranger,  but  well  known  and  beloved  as  a  ser- 
vant of  Christ,  all  through  our  limits.  The  same  is  true 
of  Dr.  D.  Clark,  from  Indiana.  Prof.  Thomas  Jones  and 
wife,  from  New  York,  were  strangers,  but  none  the  less 
welcome,  and  all  did  great  service  in  the  loving  and  faith- 
ful ministr}^  of  the  Word.  The  business  of  the  church 
was  transacted  with  despatch  and  in  the  most  fraternal 
love  and  unity.  Gospel  Meetings  every  morning  and 
evening,  and  '  business  '  gave  w^ay  for  a  little  religious 


172  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

service  at  any  time.  Liberal  offerings  were  made  in  the 
face-  of  the  meeting  for  Foreign  Missions  and  the  evan- 
gehstic  work.  We  do  not  think  there  was  a  single  sour 
or  displeased  or  disappointed  person  present.  All  praise 
be  to  Jesus  our  Lord  and  Leader.  Our  beloved  brother, 
Elias  Rogers,  an  Elder  and  Christian  worker  from  Can- 
ada, was  present  a  part  of  the  time,  and  from  a  private 
letter  of  his  we  clip  a  few  sentences,  as  the  expressions 
of  a  stranger  :  '  I  greatly  enjo3'ed  my  visit  and  was  much 
pleased  to  note  the  harmony  which  prevails  in  j-our 
Yearly  Meeting.  It  is  not  often  that  one  is  privileged 
to  witness  such  showers  of  spiritual  blessings  as  came 
down  upon  the  people  at  almost  every  session.  I  have 
never  attended  a  Yearly  Meeting  where  there  was  such 
a  large  proportion  of  young  people,  mostly  in  the  enjoy- 
ment of  a  rich  Christian  experience.  Then  the  number 
of  conversions  and  sanctifications  during  the  Y.  M.  seemed 
to  be  very  large  for  such  a  gathering.  I  think  there  were 
several  cases  at  almost  every  one  of  the  morning  and 
evening  meetings.  As  for  thyself,  thee  should  be  greatly 
encouraged  to  press  forward  in  thy  Master's  service,  as 
He  may  lead.  The  hearts  of  your  people  seem  to  be  as 
one.'  We  close  this  record  of  the  gracious  dealings  of 
our  Lord  with  us  under  a  deep  sense  of  our  own  weakness 
and  unworthiness,  and  ascribe  all  praise,  power,  glor\' 
and  honor  unto  Him  who  is  '  able  to  do  exceeding  abund- 
antly above  all  that  we  can  ask  or  think.'  '  O  Lord  of 
hosts,  blessed  is  the  man  that  trusteth  in  Thee.'  " 

At  many  of  these  meetings  he  was  deemed  almost  in- 
dispensable and  he  is  now  greatly  missed.  At  all  of 
them  he  was  much  beloved  and  many  at  every  place  call 
him  blessed.  But  perhaps  there  is  one  meeting  of  which 
we  should  speak  more  fully,  and  which  more  exactly  rep- 


INTERDENOMINATIONAL   WORK.  173 

resents  David  Updegraff  in  views  and  methods  and  spirit 
than  any  other  in  the  country.  We  refer  to  the  Annual 
Feast  of  Tabernacles  held  at 

MOUNTAIN    LAKE   PARK 

Which  is  located  on  the  top  of  the  Allegheny  Mountains, 
in  Garrett  County,  Maryland.  Here  the  people,  preach- 
ers, evangelists,  representative  men  and  women,  together 
with  the  rank  and  file  of  Christians  of  all  denominations 
resort  annually  for  spiritual  recreation  and  a  holy  feast. 

If  this  meeting  could  be  preserv^ed  in  its  distinctive  and 
unique  features,  we  believe  it  would  be  the  best  monu- 
ment that  could  possibly  be  reared  to  his  memory.  From 
the  beginning  of  its  history,  he  has  been  identified  with 
it  (together  with  Dr.  Dougan  Clark)  as  its  leader  under 
the  Captain  of  the  Lord's  hosts.  In  no  meeting  has  his 
own  personality  been  less  hampered  and  more  fully  at 
play,  with  all  of  his  powers,  than  here.  And  we  venture 
to  say  that  in  no  camp-meeting,  the  country  over,  have 
the  liberties  of  God's  people  and  the  liberty  of  the  Holy 
Ghost  been  more  fully  enjoyed  than  here.  Brother  Up- 
degraff's  relation  to  the  meeting  was  whoU}^  spiritual,  he 
having  nothing  w^hatever  to  do  with  the  material  arrange- 
ments or  the  financial  plans.  These,  by  unmistakable 
links  of  Providence,  have,  from  the  first,  been  in  the 
hands  of  that  blessed  and  anointed  man  of  God,  and  in- 
timate friend  of  David  Updegraff,  the  venerable  John 
Thompson  of  the  Philadelphia  Conference,  Methodist 
Episcopal  church. 

We  are  not  sure  indeed,  but  that  the  camp- meeting  at 
Mountain  Lake  Park  is  in  some  sense,  a  child  of  the  se- 
lect and  blessed  parlor  meetings  held  annually  at  the 
home  of  Mrs.  Farnum  in  Philadelphia,  by  Brothers  Upde- 


174  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

graff  and  Clark.  At  all  events,  when  the  gateway  opened 
upon  this  lovely  mountain  top,  for  Brother  Thompson  to 
plan  to  have  a  spiritual  gathering  of  people  and  partic- 
ularl}^  of  Christian  workers  there,  his  mind  instinctively 
turned  to  the  interdenominational  phase  of  things  and  to 
these  anointed  men  of  God  as  associated  with  him  in  its 
management. 

We  shall  notice  a  few  of  the  conspicuous  characteristics 
of  this  meeting,  y^r^/,  because  (as  we  have  remarked)  they 
are  so  like  David  Updegraff,  the  subject  of  our  memoir. 
Second,  because  we  think  they  may  well  be  emulated  by 
holiness  camp-meetings  throughout  the  whole  country. 

The  7na7iageme7it  is  of  the  simplest  form  possible.  The 
meeting  is  not  under  ecclesiastical  control.  It  is  not 
even  planned  or  provided  for  by  a  camp-meeting  associ- 
ation. Let  us  not  be  misunderstood,  as  though  w^e  would 
reflect  upon  ecclesiasticism  or  associations.  All  ministers 
participating  in  these  meetings  are  personally  responsible 
to  some  church,  and  the  meeting  itself  is  the  guest  of  the 
Mountain  Lake  Park  Company  (w^hich  is  not,  however,  a 
camp-meeting  association).  So  that  sound  doctrine  and 
good  behavior  are  sufficiently  well  assured  by  this  tw^o- 
fold  amenability,  while  the  meeting  is  left  unhindered  to 
follow  the  course  of  Providence  and  the  leadings  of  the 
Spirit. 

As  a  rule  we  are  opposed  to  the  one-man  management 
of  anything  in  which  many  men  are  interested.  On  the 
other  hand,  sometimes  at  camp-meeting  as  well  as  else- 
where, it  is  true  that  "Too  many  cooks  spoil  the  broth." 
We  believe  that  the  general  arrangements  and  temporal 
management  of  this  meeting  are  very  wasely  left  in  the 
hands  of  Brother  Thompson  alone.  God  and  the  people 
both  do  trust  him,  and  he  proves  himself  "  a  workman 


INTERDENOMINATIONAL   WORK.  175 

that  needeth  not  to  be  ashamed."  Our  only  apprehen- 
sion is  for  the  future  of  the  meeting,  after  he  is  called  to 
join  David  up  yonder.  But  this  we  can  trust  with  God. 
The  financial  features  of  the  meeting  never  obtain  any 
prominence,  though  it  is  not  endowed,  nor  proyided  for 
by  gate  fees,  nor  burdened  with  frequent  collections. 
The  meeting  rests  where  all  Christian  enterprise  should 
rest,  upon  the  free-will  offerings  of  the  people.  These 
are  generally  made  on  Sabbath  morning,  and  by  private 
voluntary  subscription.  The  vieetiyigs  are  remarkably  free 
of  pre-arrangement  and  programme.  We  think  manj^ 
camp-meetings  are  spoiled  by  over-arrangement.  The 
Holy  Ghost  is  precluded  l)y  programme  many  times.  Not 
so  here.  True,  provision  is  made  for  the  presence  of 
men  and  women  of  God  to  help  in  the  battle  of  the  L^ord. 
These  are  selected  with  a  view,  not  to  their  popularity, 
nor  to  their  official  positions  in  the  churches,  nor  to  their 
scholarship  or  eloquence;  but  always  with  a  view  to  their 
spirituality  and  their  aptness  to  understand  and  to  follow 
the  voice  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  This  wonderful  camp- 
meeting  would  seem,  on  this  account,  to  some,  to  lack 
enterprise.  It  has  no  taking  cards;  no  great  special  days 
are  announced.  It  bears  marks  of  the  simplicity  of  the 
Gospel.  Like  the  Master  Himself,  it  has,  perhaps,  to  the 
worldly  eye,  no  beauty,  or  form,  or  comeliness  to  com- 
pete with  the  ' '  attractions  ' '  offered  at  some  other  places. 
It  depends  wholly  on  the  magnetic  attraction  of  the 
Spirit's  presence  and  power.  //  is  a  school  for  ministers, 
evaiigelists^  and  other s,  rather  thayi  a  market  for  the  dis- 
play for  their  prodjccts.  Preachers  coming  up  here  need 
not  feel  embarrassed  if  they  have  forgotten  to  bring  their 
sermons.  Evangelists  will,  for  a  time  be  relieved  of  the 
feeling  that  this  is  ' '  my  meeting  and  I  must  look  after 


176  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

it."  The  usual  sensitiveness  and  jealousy  found  at  camp- 
meetings  at  "  my  being  overlooked  while  others  are  called 
upon  to  preach, "  etc. ,  find  no  place  here.  The  very  type 
of  the  meetings  relieves  many  of  the  thought  that  they 
may  be  drafted  into  service,  and  gives  them  soon  to  feel 
that  they  are  to  have  that  oft  coveted  rest  and  opportu- 
nity for  waiting  upon  God,  and  attending  a  school  of  the 
prophets. 

Thus  there  is  great  freedo7n,  much  spontaniety ,  mid  tin- 
endijig  variety  in  the  services.  One  can  scarely  ever  tell 
what  is  coming  next.  If  a  brother  or  a  sister  has  been 
spoken  to  concerning  preaching,  it  is  with  a  stated  or  an 
implied  "if  the  Spirit  wills,"  for  the  meeting  may  take 
quite  a  different  turn.  Indeed,  it  often  does  so.  The 
*  *  after  meeting ' '  is  sometimes  at  the  beginning  of  the 
service.  Or  a  brother  unexpectedly  asks  liberty  to  speak. 
It  is  accorded;  and  he  proceeds  to  make  some  humble, 
heart-breaking  confession,  or  perhaps  to  state  some  per- 
plexities or  troubles,  or  just  as  likely  to  pour  out  a  vol- 
ume of  pent-up  praise.  The  tide  rises.  It  becomes  ap- 
parent that  preaching  is  not  the  order  of  the  hour. 

May  be  the  whole  assembly  goes  down  on  its  knees. 
The  entire  place  i  becomes  an  altar.  Or  some  one  that 
viust  have  relief  breaks  out  in  strong  supplication  and 
fervent  prayer.  Very  probably  a  score  get  saved  or 
sanctified.  The  time  has  flown.  The  service  breaks  in 
holy  laughter,  or  in  a  general  love-feast  and  hand-shak- 
ing, everyone  feeling  that  God  has  led  the  meeting.  Of 
course,  it  does  not  always  take  such  a  turn.  But  as  the 
lyOrd's  servant  rises  to  preach,  he  is  sure  to  be  sensible 
of  an  atmosphere  of  freedom  and  power  and  receptivity 
and  faith,  much  beyond  the  ordinary.  He  is  apt  to  for- 
get himself  and  the  clock,   too.     People  can  sometimes 


INTERDENOMINATIONAL  WORK.  177 

scarcely  believe  that  it  is  the  same  preacher  they  have 
heard  elsewhere,  so  manifestly  is  he  carried  above  and 
beyond  himself.  Often  the  power  of  God  falls  on  the 
congregation  during  the  sermon;  sinners  cry  for  mercy; 
believers  press  into  perfect  love.  Workers  take  a  new 
enduement. 

The  following  day  the  meeting  may  begin  with  ques- 
tions, which  direct  the  course  of  the  meeting,  perhaps  for 
hours,  or  for  several  services  to  follow.  And  the  follow- 
ing day  it  is  something  else.  And  as  one  reviews  it,  he 
has  to  conclude  that,  unseen  at  the  time,  there  was  a  close 
connection  between  these  different  links  and  a  steady  pro- 
gression from  hour  to  hour  and  from  day  to  day,  which 
man  could  neither  have  forseen  nor  have  executed. 

The  doctriyie  of  Holiness  and  the  Office-work  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  are  the  leadiiig  themes  of  preaching.  Not  that  any 
restriction  is  put  upon  any  preacher;  not  but  that  the  sub- 
jects of  repentance,  regeneration,  and  retribution  receive 
more  attention  than  they  do  at  many  other  places.  But 
something  in  the  atmosphere,  more  than  anything  in  the 
advertisements  of  the  place,  tell  both  preacher  and  peo- 
ple that  everything  here  shall  wear  the  inscription,  ''  Ho- 
liness unto  the  Lord."  No  part  of  the  great  theme  is 
overlooked.  The  practical,  the  experimental,  and  the  doc- 
trinal sides  of  it  are  fully  and  faithfully  presented.  So, 
too,  is  its  relation  to  the  new  birth,  and  to  growth  in  grace, 
its  bearings  upon  church  life  and  Christian  work.  Its  tes- 
timony and  its  terminology  all  receive  due  attention. 

In  all  of  these  services  David  Updegraff  w^as  present, 
and  always  at  the  helm.  But  so  unostentatiously,  so  pru- 
dently, so  gently,  as  to  rarely  ever  seem  to  be  managing 
the  meeting  at  all.  Yet  nothing  was  ever  allowed  to  drift 
or  to  drag  or  to  become  irrelevant,  unprofitable,  or  inju- 


178  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

rious.  .  His  keen  scent,  his  quick  ear,  his  apt  wit,  his 
dauntless  courage,  his  tender  love,  his  flaming  passion 
for  souls,  all  under  the  mighty  touch  of  the  Spirit, 
equipped  him  for  the  varying  exigencies  of  such  a  meet- 
ing as  this. 

Few  persons  are  aware  of  the  difficulties  and  the  dan- 
gers which  arise  in  a  Feast  of  Tabernacles  of  this  kind. 
Many  imagine  that  an  assembly  of  God's  choicest  people, 
with  the  fullest  liberty  accorded  to  the  Holy  Ghost  for 
guidance  and  superintendence,  would  scarcely  need  any 
management  of  any  kind,  or  human  leadership.  But  this 
is  a  grave  mistake.     Difficulties  arise  out  of 

First.  The  infreqiieyicy  of  such  Pentecostal  gatherings. 
Few  persons  are  acquainted  with  the  habits  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  and  are  so  accustomed  to  their  own  habits,  and 
the  habits  of  formal  churches,  that  they  do  not  know 
how  to  adapt  themselves  either  to  waiting  on  the  Spirit 
or  to  working  with  the  Spirit. 

Second.  Some  mistake  liberty  for  license.  That  is,  for 
license  to  consume  the  time,  or  to  ventilate  their  own 
views  upon  various  subjects,  or  to  represent  the  various 
interests  with  which  they  ma}^  be  identified.  This  causes 
danger  of  unprofitable  and  unfruitful  consumption  of  the 
Spirit's  precious  time. 

Third.   Some  are  faiiatical,  and  must  be  restrained. 

Fourth.  Some  are  co?itroversial,  censorious,  and  com- 
bative, and  would  introduce  counter  currents  in  the  meet- 
ing. 

Fifth.  Some  have  cofne  more  for  their  own  sensible  grat- 
ificatio7is  than  with  a  passionate  desire  for  the  salvation 
of  others,  and,  as  a  consequence,  they  are  very  likely  to 
get  in  the  way  of  the  precipitation  of  results. 

Sixth.     All  have   infirmities  of  one    kind  or  another, 


INTERDENOMINATIONAL  WORK.  179 

which,  like  even  the  good  children  of  a  family,  would  at 
times  get  in  the  way  of  the  main  interests,  which  need 
the  loving  head  and  heart  and  hand  of  faithful  parents  to 
conserve. 

The  very  joys  and  delights  of  such  fellowship  make 
demand  for  special  guards  against  dissipation.  The  re- 
sponsibilities and  the  eternal  interests  at  stake,  call  for 
much  more  than  average  prayerfulness  among  God's  peo- 
ple. The  opportunities  for  social  and  individual  work 
need  looking  after  and  vigilance.  The  crucial  junctures 
which  arise  in  the  most  spiritual  meetings  call  for  a  mas- 
ter hand.  In  one  word,  the  leadership  of  the  Spirit,  does 
not  suspend  the  necessity  for  the  leadership  of  men  who  are 
anoifited  and  filled  zvith  the  Spirit. 

David  saw  this.  He  recognized  himself  as  the  Spirit's 
agent.  He  courted  counsel,  and  used  advise,  but  rarely 
seemed  to  need  it.  The  right  thing  came  to  him  at  the 
right  moment.  He  made  great  improvement  of  these 
meetings  for  accomplishing  two  or  three  subordinate 
ends,  in  which  he  manifested  no  little  interest.  07ie  was 
(to  use  his  own  expression)  to  break  "  the  hitching-straps 
with  which  many  of  God's  children  are  tied  at  the  mouth.'' 
He  insisted  that  there  was  a  vital  connection  between 
heart  liberty  and  tongue  liberty.  He  held  that  any  tim- 
idity, any  prejudice,  any  habit,,  any  fear  of  man,  or  any- 
thing else,  which  restrained  one  from  praising  God,  from 
public  prayer,  from  testimony  to  salvation,  from  talking 
to  souls,  must  be  done  away  in  order  to  the  highest  lib- 
erty and  the  deepest  peace. 

A?iother  was,  he  was  determined,  by  the  grace  of  God, 
to  follow  Paul's  injunction  in  helping  those  women  who 
labored  with  us  in  the  Gospel.  Mountain  I^ake  Park 
knows  no  difference  between  those  who  are  called  of  God 


180  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

to  preach  His  word,  on  account  of  sex.  Upon  the  serv- 
ants and  upon  the  handmaidens  is  the  Spirit  outpoured, 
and  they  do  prophesy.  Not  only  in  preaching,  but  also 
in  the  minor  services  of  the  kingdom,  these  daughters  of 
Zion  are  not  only  allowed,  but  are  encouraged  and  urged 
to  use  their  liberty.  Many  of  these  received  their  first 
commission,  and  the  gifts  and  labors  of  many  men  have 
been  greatly  enhanced  at  Mountain  Lake  Park. 

Once  more.  David,  as  God's  servant,  in  leading  this 
meeting,  was  never  content  that  it  should  end  with  itself. 
That  is  to  say,  he  showed  a  great  earnestness  and  a  mar-* 
velous  tact  in  making  it  a  self-reproducing  meeting.  Re- 
vivals have  been  born  here.  Evangelists  have  started 
here.  Pastors  have  taken  on  the  revivalistic  .stamp  here. 
The  seed  of  Mountain  Lake  is  like  the  handful  of  corn 
on  the  top  of  the  mountain,  the  fruit  whereof  shakes  as 
the  cedars  of  Lebanon. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

HIS   VIEW.S    UPON    VARIOUS   TOPICS,     POLITICS, 
HEALING,    ETC. 

ONE  SO  independent,  so  vigorous  in  thought,  so  strong 
in  conviction,  and  so  conscientious,  could   not  be 
without  views  upon  the  leading  topics  of  his  time. 

There  are,  however,  a  few  traits  of  character  which  he 
steadily  evidenced  in  this  connection  which  are,  perhaps, 
quite  as  valuable  to  us  as  the  views  themselves.  One  of 
these  was  his  refusal  to  give  prominence,  either  in  public 
or  in  private,  to  matters  which  were  not  directly  relevant 
to  the  great  work  of  salvation  in  hand.  This  was  exceed- 
ingly noticeable,  and  was  the  more  remarkable  since  men 
with  minds  so  prolific  as  his,  and  with  characters  so 
broad,  are  the  more  apt  to  either  be  ever  at  some  new 
theory,  or  else  dazzling  the  intellects  of  others  with  the 
great  diversit}^  of  topics  and  themes  which  they  can  throw 
into  prominence.  David  was  unlike  these,  but  more  like 
Paul,  who  ''  determiyied  not  to  know  anything  among 
men  save  Jesus  Christ  and  Him  crucified."  It  requires 
a  heroic  determination  and  a  manful  executiveness  to 
confine  one's  self  within  the  range  of  the  essential,  while 
there  are  so  many  other  things  which  entertain,  and 
which  by  many  are  deemed  important,  and  by  most  con- 
sidered quite  requisite,  to  prove  that  one  is  not  narrow. 
Our  beloved  brother  invariably  kept  to  the  main  track. 

(181) 


182  MEMOIR  OF  DA  VID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

Another  thing.  He  was  wiflmchingly  consistent  with 
his  own  great  doctriyie  of  Tolerance.  No  one  need  ever 
wonder  where  he  stood  upon  a  question;  yet,  upon  the 
other  hand,  all  others  were  quickly  made  to  feel  at  liberty 
to  take  their  own  stand  wath  their  own  convictions,  even 
though  they  might  be  on  quite  the  opposite  side  from  his 
own.  Or,  if  any  were  slow  in  coming  to  light  and  convic- 
tion, he  was  so  patient  wdth  them,  so  free  from  a  party 
spirit  or  bigotry,  and  yet  so  free  from  apathy  or  indiffer- 
ence. So  anxious  that  everyone  should  see  aright  and 
believe  aright,  and  j'et  so  unwilling  that  anyone  should 
be  coerced.     Wonderful  and  blessed  combination  ! 

In  Politics,  perhaps,  he  might  be  regarded  as  peculiar 
in  his  views,  and  by  some  a  disappointment.  (No  doubt 
of  it;  who  wouldn't  be?)  Though  quietly  exercising  the 
citizen's  right  of  franchise,  and  though  firmly  believing 
that  righteousness  exalteth  a  nation,  and  sin  is  a  vShame 
to  any  people,  he  iievertheless  had  no  faith  that  any  great 
radical  cure  of  even  natio7ial  sins  could  be  effected  by  polit- 
ical vieans.  He  might  see  restraint  to  evil-doers,  and  a 
measure  of  protection  to  personal  life  and  property  in 
wholesome  legislation  and  faithful  administration,  and 
from  this  stand-point  would  cast  a  ballot  for  the  party  or 
the  man  whom  he  deemed  most  likely  to  approximate 
this  end.  But  he  had  no  hope  of  the  world's  reformation 
this  way,  nor  of  men's  evangelization.  His  hope,  in  fact, 
was  only  for  the  individual  man,  not  for  aggregate  hu- 
manity, either  in  the  nation  or  in  the  church.  He  was 
quite  skeptical  concerning  schemes  of  any  kind  for  Chris- 
tianizing man  en-masse.  His  study  of  sociological  prob- 
lems was  made  tributary  to  his  dealing  with  individual 
conditions.  He  was  not  zealous  for  society,  but  aflame 
for  the  soul  of  a  man. 


HIS  VIEWS  UPON  VARIOUS  TOPICS.  183 

For  the  interest  of  the  reader  we  introduce  a  few  ex- 
tracts, showing  how  David  thought  and  spoke  on  a  few 
questions.     Here  are  some  of  his  thoughts  on 

THE   SABBATH    QUESTION. 

(Clipped  from  page  199  of  Expositor.) 

"  The  country  is  flooded  with  publications  abounding 
in  arguments  to  prove  that  the  '  seveyith  day '  of  the  week 
is  the  only  true  Sabbath,  and  endeavors  to  show  that  the 
first  day  of  the  week  has  no  divine  sanction  whatever. 
All  of  this  effort  is  accompanied  with  a  zeal  that  might 
be  most  telling  if  it  were  according  to  knowledge  and  in 
some  useful  and  worthy  cause.  But  while  multitudes 
will  accept  the  destructive  half  of  this  teaching  and  im- 
bibe a  contempt  for  the  Lord's  day,  very  few,  indeed, 
will  ever  care  for  the  arguments  or  be  influenced  by  them 
to  observe  the  seventh  day.  At  best,  it  can  possibly  do 
no  more  than  proselyte  a  few  good  souls  of  a  morbid  con- 
science from  an  observance  of  one  day  to  that  of  another. 
We  are  asked  if  there  is  any  foundation  whatever  for  all 
of  this  ado,  and  our  views  on  soul-sleeping.  We  have 
not  the  time  nor  jthe  inclination  to  enter  into  any  ex- 
tended discussion  of  these  questions.  As  to  the  latter  or 
the  conditional  immortality  of  the  soul,  w^e  think  it  a  doc- 
trine of  the  devil,  constantly  contradicted  by  the  word  of 
God,  as  well  as  the  internal  consciousnCvSS  of  mankind. 
The  Spirits  of  the  wicked  and  the  lost  are  as  certainly  un- 
dying and  immortal  as  are  the  spirits  of  the  righteous. 
And  the  cunning  arguments  and  artifices  to  show  it 
otherwise  are  but  so  much  of  perdition's  chloroform  to 
hold  the  sensibilities  in  slumber  until  God's  d^y  of 
offered  salvatio7i  shall  pass.  And  though  the  Sabbath 
question  is  far  more  plausible,  and  less  dangerous  doc- 


184  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

trinally,  it  is  a  first-class  illustration  of  the  truth  that 
'  the  letter  killeth.'  A  scrupulous  adherence  to  the  mere 
letter  of  law  is  certain  death  to  its  true  spiritual  signifi- 
cance. It  would  seem  that  most  people  either  rest  in  the 
outward  letter,  or  law,  or  despise  it  altogether.  We 
ought  to  do  neither. 

"1.  The  perpetuity  of  the  fourth  commandment  in  the 
decalogue  is  urged  as  establishing  the  sanctity  of  the 
'  seveyitk  day. '  Now  if  we  insist  on  being  literal,  it 
reads,  *  the  Lord  blessed  the  Sabbath  day  and  hallowed 
it,'  and  this  sanctification  of  the  'Sabbath'  is  not  merely 
a  numerical  thing,  and  limited  to  the  seventh  day  of  the 
week,  but  it  is  of  moral  significance,  and  a  sanctity  that 
is  transferable  to  any  day  in  the  week  that  might  ever  "be- 
come the  Sabbath,  or  day  of  holy  rest,  by  Divine  appoint- 
ment. The  Sabbath  that  God  ordained  and  hallowed  was 
more  than  a  day  of  twenty-four  hours.  It  was  an  institu- 
tion, a  moral  principle,  unchangeable  in  its  nature,  and 
belongs  as  fully  to  the  first  day  of  the  week  as  to  the 
seve7ith,  if  it  can  be  shown  that  this  transfer  has  been 
made  in  the  Divine  order,  and  of  this  we  shall  give  some 
proof.  That  the  observance  of  the  Sabbath  should  occur 
on  the  seve7ith  day  in  order  to  celebrate  the  work  of  crea- 
tion  accomplished  in  the  six  days  that  preceded  it  was, 
indeed,  most  fitting,  and  when  the  foundations  were  laid 
'  the  morning  stars  sang  together  and  the  sons  of  God 
shouted  for  joy.'  But  in  the  birth,  life,  death,  resurec- 
tion,  and  ascension  of  the  Lord  Jesus  there  was  laid  the 
foundation  of  a  new  creation  infinitely  more  glorious  than 
the  first.  And  '  the  multitude  of  the  heavenly  host '  that 
sang  *  Glory  to  God  in  the  highest,  and  on  earth  peace, 
good  will  toward  men '  proclaimed  a  more  stupendous 
work  and  a  greater  joy  than  ever  '  morning  stars '  were 


HIS  VIEWS  UPON  VARIOUS  TOPICS.  185 

capable  of  comprehending.  And  if  the  former  creation 
was  worthy  to  be  celebrated  by  a  Sabbath  on  the  seventh 
day,  much  more  is  the  latter,  by  a  Sabbath  on  the  Lord's 
day,  or  the  first  day  of  the  week. 

''  2.  Christ  constantly  asserted  that  He  was  '  Lord  of 
the  Sabbath:  and  that  He  made  it,  for  '  all  things  were 
made  by  Him.'  Johnl:  3.  And  that  it,  'the  Sabbath' 
the  mstitutio7i  itself,  and  not  merely  a  certain  day  of  the 
week,  'was  made  for  man,'  for  his  benefit,  for  repose  of 
his  body  from  secular  toil,  for  his  soul's  communion  with 
God,  and  for  his  worship  and  work.  It  was  thus  in  the 
nature  of  a  joyous  privilege,  and  not  a  task,  or  burden, 
or  a  yoke  to  be  used  by  the  Pharisees  as  a  fetter  for  the 
feet,  even  of  the.  Lord  himself.  It  is  urged  that  '  God  is 
unchangeable.'  So  He  is,  but  that  attribute  is  not  ques- 
tioned by  the  fact  that  His  laws  are  progressive  to  meet 
the  needs  of  His  people.  And  the  same  Lawgiver  that 
prohibited  every  beast  of  the  field  that  did  not  '  part  the 
hoof  and  chew  the  cud,'  and  thus  make  it  unclean  to  the 
Jew,  could  sanctify  the  same  beast  by  His  word,  and 
command  Peter  to  '  slay  and  eat,'  teaching  the  Christian 
that  'every  creature  of  God  is  good,  and  nothing  to  be 
refused,  if  it  be  received  with  thanksgiving;  for  it  is  sanc- 
tified by  the  word  of  God  ^w^  prayer.' 

"Just  so  it  does  not  impeach  the  unchangeable  character 
of  God,  that  the  Son  of  man,  by  whom  the  fourth  com- 
mandment was  given  forth,  and  the  seventh  day  of  the 
week  appointed  to  \\^^  few  for  his  observance  of  the  Sab- 
bath, should,  as  '  Lord  of  the  Sabbath,'  move  its  observ- 
ance one  day  forward,  or  to  t\x^  first  day  of  the  week  for 
the  Christian  believer.  Nay,  this  is  most  reasonable  and 
harmonious  with  Divine  methods  and  dealings  through- 
out.       13 


186  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

"3.  That  Jesus  Christ  did  Himself  do  this  very  thing 
is,  we  think,  the  unmistakable  teaching  of  Scripture. 

"a.  The  typical  import  of  the  Sabbath  seems  to  require 
the  removal  of  its  observance  to  theyfrj/,  or  Lord's  day, 
of  the  week.     But  upon  this  we  cannot  dwell. 

' '  b.  This  day  was  distinguished  from  all  other  days  of 
the  week  by  our  Lord,  when  on  its  early  morning  He  rose 
from  the  dead.     This  was  not  an  accident. 

* '  c.  On  '  the  first  day  of  the  week  '  Jesus  '  appeared  ' 
to  His  disciples  after  His  resurrection,  as  it  is  repeatedly 
declared. 

''  d.  It  is  almost  certain  that  the  descent  of  the  Holy 
Holy  Ghost  at  Pentecost  was  on  '  the  first  day  of  the 
week,'  and  that  on  this  day  the  Lord  Jesus  began  to 
*  build  His  church,'  with  the  3,000  souls  that  gladly  re- 
ceived the  Word  and  were  baptized. 

'' e.  That  the  church  from  this  time  forward  observed 
W\^  first  day,  and  not  the  seventh,  as  the  'Sabbath,'  is 
beyond  all  reasonable  doubt.  It  commemorated  the  res- 
urrection of  Jesus,  which  was  a  corner-stone  doctrine  in 
all  of  their  ministry. 

"y".  It  was  'upon  the  first  day  of  the  week  when  the 
disciples  came  together  to  break  bread,'  or  to  eat  the 
Lord's  Supper. 

"^.  It  was  '  upon  the  first  day  of  the  week  '  that  Paul 
charged  the  church  at  Corinth  to  lay  by  in  store  their 
offerings  to  the  Lord — an  act  of  worship. 

"/^.  John  speaks  of  'the  Lord's  day'  in  a  way  that 
clearly  hnplies  its  general  observance  for  public  worship, 
and  that  this  change  of  day  for  the  Sabbath  was  by  the 
authority  and  teaching  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  so  under- 
stood by  the  apostles,  is  fully  testified  to  by  Justin  and 
others. 


HIS  VIEWS  ON  VARIOUS  TOPICS.  187 

"2.  The  example  and  practice  of  the  apostolic  church 
is  good  authority  for  us,  since  they  were  invested  with 
power  in  the  administration  of  the  affairs  of  the  church 
which  Christ  declared  would  be  ratified  in  Heaven." 

ON    INHERITED    TENDENCIES. 

[Page  264  of  "  Expositor."} 

''Question.  '  What  about  inherited  tendencies  to  evil 
which  remain  in  our  physical  frame  after  the  heart  is 
purified,  are  they  of  the  nature  of  sin  and  can  we  hope  to 
be  saved  from  these  also?'  Answer.  Entire  sanctifica- 
tion  delivers  from  all  sin,  not  from  all  the  inherited  ef- 
fects of  Adam's  transgression.  Mental,  moral,  and  phys- 
ical infirmities  are  still  our  misfortune,  though  not  our 
guilt.  Yet  they  are  so  many  avenues  of  susceptibility 
through  which  Satan  may  seek  to  entrap  us,  either  by 
encouraging  a  morbid  scrupulosity  or  in  condoning  real 
wrong.  We  must  discriminate  between  the  carnal  mind 
or  'body  of  sin  to  be  destroyed'  and  the  infirm  body 
which  we  live  in,  and  *  groan,  waiting  for  the  adoption — 
the  redemption  of  our  body.'  There  is  no  limit  to  the 
power  of  God  to  help  our  infirmities,  and  it  is  difficult  to 
fix  the  boundary  line  between  every  manifestation  of  in- 
firmity and  sin,  and  it  is  not  our  province  to  do  so  for 
others  or  ourselves — but  take  the  benefit  of  the  cleansing 
blood  in  every  case  of  doubt.  God  knows  how  to  dis- 
criminate between  nervous  excitability  and  sinful  impa- 
tience, though  men  do  not." 

ON   WHAT   IS    CALLED    THE    CHRISTIAN    WORLD. 

[Page  525.] 

* '  Religious  papers  are  passing  it  around  there  are  *  over 
430,000,000  of  professing  Christians  '  in  the  world.  Yes, 
that  many  people  that  'profess'  to  live  in  some  civilized 


188  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

country!  That  'profess'  not  to  be  heathen!  But  any 
thinking  person  knows  that  the  great  majority  of  such 
'professors '  are  more  heathenish  than  the  heathen.  Bru- 
talized by  Mammonism,  even  the  morality  of  so-called 
Christian  lands  (?)  is  destitute  of  vertebrae!  The  relig- 
ious optimism  of  our  day  is  as  senseless  as  it  is  vicious. 
As  wicked  as  it  is  foolish.  It  is  as  though  the  watch- 
man cries  '  all's  well,'  when  flames  are  bursting  from  the 
roof  of  your  dwelling.  The  truth  is,  that  the  time  has 
come  when  it  is  not  much  of  a  '  profession  even  to  belong 
to  a  church,  to  say  nothing  of  a  nation.'  How  many 
*  professors  '  have  any  real  spiritual  life  ?  The  '  Virgins  ' 
were  only  half  and  half,  and  that  is  a  high  estimate  for 
us.  Christians  indeed !  When  from  the  pulpits  of  every 
sect  in  the  universe  can  be  heard  anything  from  mild  in- 
fidelity to  the  most  blatant  blasphemy.  We  will  quote 
an  utterance  from  three  preachers  of  different  denomina- 
tions and  all  noted  men.  First  man. — '  Few  intelligent 
Christians  believe  that  the  earthly  body  has  any  resur- 
rection !  '  That  is  the  intelligence  that  '  changes  the 
truth  of  God  into  a  lie.'  Second  man. — '  It  is  as  much  a 
Christian's  duty  to  love  his  country  as  his  God.  To  an 
American,  the  stars  and  stripes  ought  to  be  as  much  of 
his  actual  religion  as  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount,  and  as 
much  his  duty  to  go  to  the  polls  as  to  the  Lord's  table!' 
This  is  Christianity  epitomized  in  politics  and  patriotism, 
and  the  Jew,  Mohammedan  or  Pagan  can  be  as  good  a 
Christian  as  anybody !  Third  man. — '  Man  has  not  fallen, 
and  he  does  not  need  a  deliverer;  there  is  not  a  wrath  and 
a  curse  upon  him;  there  never  has  been  an  atonement, 
and  there  needs  none.  God  needs  not  to  l)e  reconciled  to 
his  world  in  which  he  has  been  living  and  working.' 
"  The  last  is  the  safest  because  the  blasphemy  is  un- 


HIS  VIEWS  ON  VARIOUS  TOPICS.  189 

disguised.  Rev.  M.  J.  Savage,  of  Boston,  is  one  of  those 
deep  thinking  (?)  scholarly  preachers,  but  whose  name  is 
amazingly  suggestive  of  his  theology.  Careful  psychic 
study  has  bred  in  him  a  hope  that  immortality  is  to  be 
discovered  as  an  open  fact  of  to-day.  Indeed!  'Oh! 
fools,  and  slow  of  heart  to  believe  .^ '" 

ON    MISS  WILLARD'S    enthusiasm  FOR   COMBINES. 

' '  Miss  Willard  is  certainly  enthusiastic  in  her  estimate 
of  the  results  that  are  to  follow  human  covibinatioyis .  We 
are  not  quite  sure  whether  the  following  sentence  in  her 
speech  at  the  Women's  Council  is  her  real  opinio7i,  or 
merely  a  rhetorical  flourish.  If  the  latter,  it  is  very  fine. 
If  the  former,  it  is  not  so  fine : 

"  '  When  every  woman  shall  say  to  every  other,  and 
every  workingman  shall  say  to  every  other,  'Combine' 
the  war  dragon  shall  be  slain,  the  poverty  viper  exter- 
minated, the  goldbug  transfixed  by  a  silver  pin,  the  saloon 
drowned  out,  and  the  last  white  slave  liberated  from  the 
woods  of  Wisconsin  and  the  bagnios  of  Chicago  and 
Washington.' 

"  It  is  true  that  on  such  a  platform  '  isms '  of  all  sorts 
might  stand  with  professing  Christians,  so  long  as  there 
is  nothing  evangelical  spoken  of,  and  Unitarians  are  se- 
lected to  preach  the  sermons.  But  we  never  expect  to  see 
any  w^ra/ reform  amount  to  much,  in  which  there  is  a 
union  of  believers  with  the  anti-christian  spirit  of  the 
zvorld.  Christian  people  can  accomplish  little  without  the 
Spirit  of  Christ,  and  the  Holy  Spirit  will  never  undertake 
the  leadership  of  a  medley  of  Christ  and  anti-Christ. 
If  it  is  Christian  work,  let  it  be  done  by  Christians,  and 
if  it  is  the  world's  affair,  let  worldly  people  look  after  it. 
Christians  have  enough  to  do  to  follow  the  Holy  Ghost  in 


190  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

His  work,  without  compromising  themselves  in  an  une- 
qual yoke,  and  dabbling  in  the  projects  of  men.  The 
spiritual  and  the  political  can  never  be  made  to  mix. 
The  atmosphere  of  the  one  is  forever  unsuitable  to  the 
other.  And  nothing  can  be  more  demoralizing  than  an 
apparent  fellowship  with  those  from  whom  we  really  differ 
to  the  heart's  core,  on  matters  essential  to  our  Christianity. 
*'  But  the  Signal  says :  Miss  Willard  '  parted  company  ' 
with  Mr.  Moody  fourteen  j^ears  ago,  '  at  the  cross-roads 
of  honest  and  devout  opinion,'  on  this  very  subject.  At 
that  time  she  wrote  in  her  journal,  '  Brother  Moody's 
Scripture  interpretations  concerning  religious  toleration 
are  too  literal  for  me;  the  jacket  is  too  straight;  I  cannot 
wear  it.'  The  passage  differed  upon  was  II.  John  10-11. 
We  cannot  concur  with  the  argument  in  the  Signal, 
that  seeks  to  prove  that  Christ  acted  upon  what  is  called 
the  '  inclusive  '  or  '  cosmopolitan,'  or  '  neighborly  '  method, 
as  opposed  to  '  separateness.'  Christ's  'manner  of  life' 
socially,  was  to  '  eat  and  drink  '  as  others  did,  but  while 
He  was  ainong  the  people,  He  was  never  of  them  in  any 
sense.  And  in  so  far  as  Mr.  Moody  has  '  broadened  his 
spirit  of  toleration,'  beyond  the  language  of  II.  John  10, 
it  is  occasion  of  profound  regret  to  his  evangelical  friends. 
We  are  glad  to  see  it  stated  that  '  Mr.  Spurgeon  and  Dr. 
Parker  have  both  left  the  Liberation  Society  for  the  dis- 
establishment of  the  Church  of  England,  as  they  find 
themselves  unequally  yoked  with  atheists  and  agnostics, 
and  believe  that  a  religious  work  should  be  done  only  by 
religious  men." 

ON    DIVINE    HEALING. 

*'  Some  take  the  ground  that  it  is  in  God's  plan  and 
purpose  that  the  healing  of  diseases  by  divine  power,  and 


HIS  VIEWS  ON  VARIOUS  TOPICS.  191 

without  the  use  of  medical  remedies,  should  be  as  coni- 
vionly  ayid  universally  granted  as  are  forgiveness  and 
cleansing  from  sin,  to  '  whosoever  shall  call  upon  the  name 
of  the  Lord.'  We  think  this  is  an  extreme  position,  un- 
tenable and  unsupported  by  scripture.  And  a  prevalent 
tendency  to  urge  this  view  upon  all  believers  that  are 
afflicted,  without  discrimination,  is  no  doubt  to  be  re- 
buked. 

"  We  firmly  believe  that  Jesus  Christ  is  the  same  yes- 
terday, to-day,  and  forever,  and  that  in  His  infinite  love 
and  compassion  He  is  still  healing  many  that  are  sick. 
And  though  often  tempted  to  question  why  it  is  that  He 
does  not  heal  all  of  the  sick  that  are  brought  to  Him,  as 
He  once  did,  we  dare  not  thus  question  or  complain,  but 
acquiesce  in  His  sweet  will,  and  know  that  He  doeth  all 
things  well,  and  that  '  all  things  work  together  for  good 
to  them  that  love  the  I^ord.'  " 

ON    BIRTHRIGHT   MEMBERSHIP. 

"  For  many  years  the  Friends'  church  has  to  some  ex- 
tent realized  that  the  question  of  hereditary  membership 
was  a  serious  one.  There  was  no  such  membership  in 
the  early  days  of  the  society.  It  was  only  as  a  result  of 
the  violent  reaction  against  a  hierarchical  church,  that 
Friends  '  fell  in  the  Charybdis  of  an  hereditary  church,' 
and  seem  never  to  have  fully  adopted  a  birthright  mem- 
bership, or  a  '  lay  eldership,'  \xn\\\  as  late  as  1725  or  later, 
but  had  in  the  beginning  vigorously  protested  against 
both.  The  sad  result  has  been  that,  a  nominal  and  tra- 
ditional membership,  has  constantly  had  the  ascendency 
over  a  truly  qiialijied  membership.  This  subject  is  at 
present  claiming  increased  attention  within  the  various 
Yearly  Meetings,  and  in  some  of  them  steps  have  been 


192  MEMOIR  OF  DA  VID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

taken  in  order  to  simplif}^  and  improve  the  provisions  of 
discipline  in  reference  to  it.  The  grave  inconsistency  of 
the  church  in  retaining  a  double  standard  of  church  mem- 
bership is  made  obvious  as  we  consider  two  facts.  First, 
in  the  case  of  applicants,  great  care  is  exercised  in  order 
to  ascertain  their  entire  fitness  to  be  received.  Second, 
in  the  case  of  children  born  in  the  church.  They  are 
recognized  as  members  as  a  77iatter  of  course.  These 
often  grow  up  without  any  true  allegiance,  and  some- 
times with  a  feeling  of  real  opposition,  to  an  organiza- 
tion which  imposes  obligations  without  any  choice  of 
their  own.  The  direct  tendency  is  to  secularize  the 
church — and  to  promote  traditional  Quakerism  at  the  ex- 
pense of  that  which  is  vital.  For  a  church  that  protests 
against  infant  baptism  because  of  non-accountability,  to 
bestow  church  privileges  on  their  own  children,  on  ac- 
count of  nattiral  birth,  is  to  reach  a  climax  of  inconsist- 
ency. For  the  only  difference  is  in  the  mode  of  admis- 
sion, the  one  being  a  public  consecration  of  the  child  to 
God,  and  solemn  vows  to  bring  it  up  in  the  nurture  and 
admonition  of  the  Lord,  and  to  this  extent  at  least,  Script- 
2cral  without  a  question.  The  other,  entirely  destitute  of 
public  covenant,  and  often  without  even  a  secret  one,  as 
there  is  great  reason  to  believe. 

' '  We  have  no  question  but  that  parents  ought  in  some 
way  to  publicly  dedicate  their  children  to  the  Lord  in 
their  very  infancy,  and  also  to  solemnly  assume  their 
own  obligations  to  rear  and  train  them  for  God.  Chil- 
dren should  thus  be  regarded  as  the  wards  of  the  church, 
and  enjoy  all  of  its  religious  and  educational  privileges, 
and  claim  its  prayerful  interest  and  watchful  solicitude 
in  a  special  sense.  Diligent  endeavors  should  be  used  to 
bring  them  to  the  Savior,  and  w^hen  there  is  good  evidence 


HIS  VIEWS  ON  VARIOUS  TOPICS.  193 

of  true  conversion,  they  should  be  lovingl}^  encouraged  to 
unite  with  the  church  in  full  membership.  The  action  of 
the  late  New  York  Yearly  Meeting  was,  however,  adverse 
to  any  important  change  in  the  provisions  of  its  discipline 
on  this  matter.  We  subjoin  some  extracts  from  an  edi- 
torial in  the  (lyondon)  Frie7id,  commenting  upon  their  ac- 
tion, which  w^e  think  is  much  to  the  point.  {Italics  ours.) 
The  editor  '  thinks  the  time  is  fast  coming  when  it  will  be 
absolutely  necessary  for  London  Yearly  Meeting  to  give 
close  attention  to  the  subject.  The  large  and  influential 
expression  of  opinion  in  opposition  to  birthright  member- 
ship at  the  last  Yearly  Meeting  on  ministry  and  birth- 
right, is  in  itself  a  sufficient  warrant  for  this  opinion.' 

"  This  utterance  of  New  York  Yearly  Meeting,  whether 
conclusive  or  not  to  that  body,  will  not,  we  feel  sure,  sat- 
isfy a  large  number  of  Friends  on  both  sides  of  the  At- 
lantic who  have  long  regarded  the  i7icongridties  of  .our 
present  systejti  of  membership  as  injurious  to  the  best  in- 
terests of  the  Society.  The  Committee  to  whom  the  con- 
sideration of  this  matter  was  entrusted  appear  to  have 
been  unprepared  to  grasp  the  wide  bearings  of  the  subject. 
Their  examination  of  Scripture  has  resulted  in  deepening 
their  impression  of  the  glory  of  that  heritage  which  is 
truly  the  birthright  of  the  children  of  godly  parents ;  but 
they  seem  to  have  confused  this  with  the  privileges  apper- 
taining to  birthright  in  the  Society  of  Friends— a  very 
differ ejit  thi^ig.  They  find  it  '  impracticable  '  to  make  any 
•  gradation  of  membership  '  in  the  Society,  and  therefore 
conclude  that  the  children  of  Friends  should  be  recognized 
as  members  so  long  as  they  'attend  our  meetings  for 
w^orship  and  manifest  an  interest  in  our  religious  Society.' 
And  they  base  this  recognition  on  promises  to  believers 
and  their  households.     Though  they  must  know  that  as 


194  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

our  Society  is  constituted  it  contains  many  parents  who 
cayinot  be  so  designated,  and  on  convictions  as  to  the  con- 
duct of  '  true  Christians,'  which  notoriously  cannot  al- 
ways be  depended  on. 

**  We  believe  this  is  almost  the  first  time  that  an  appeal 
for  the  reconsideration  of  Birthright  Membership  has  been 
definitely  entertained  by  any  Yearly  Meeting.  The  re- 
sult seems  unfortunate ;  those  who  would  like  to  see  a 
change  will  be  disappointed  with  the  decision  arrived  at, 
while  a  large  number  of  those  who  would  not  approve 
of  any  change  being  made  will  object  to  the  grounds  on 
which  that  decision  Is  based." 

ON  DIVINE  JUDGMENTS  UPON  REJECTORS  AND    PERSECU- 
TORS. 

''George  Fox  said  that  he  '  saw  the  visitation  of  God's 
love  pass  away  from  Derb}^  and  a  judgment  upon  it  be- 
cause it  rejected  his  witness  and  put  him  in  prison. '  We 
copy  this  from  The  Expositor  of  January,  1888,  written 
then  to  warn  the  churches  against  their  shameful  treat- 
ment of  the  Lord's  servants  on  account  of  the  ordinances. 
Only  two  years  have  passed  and  we  record  just  a  little 
history,  withholding  names  and  places  for  the  present. 
But  in  three  different  congregations  that  we  could  men- 
tion by  name,  ministers  and  members  were  conspicuously 
dealt  with  by  the  authorities  with  prompt  severity  and  in- 
tolerance because  of  their  vieivs  on  the  ordinances  !  But 
it  was  done  in  pursuance  of  legislatio7i  of  the  several 
Yearly  Meetings.  Since  then  these  meetings  have 
been  the  subjects  of  the  most  disgraceful  and  injurious 
public  scandals  concerning  their  ministers,  or  elders,  or 
their  families.  And  whether  true  or  false,  as  spread 
abroad  by  the  newspapers,  the  churches  have  suffered 


HIS  VIEWS  UPON  VARIOUS  TOPICS.  195 

terribly  if  not  irreparably.  And  when  we  notice  that 
these  three  vieetings  belong  to  different  Yearly  Meetings, 
and  are  separated  from  each  other  by  hundreds  of  miles, 
it  reveals  such  a  coincidence  of  wrong  and  afiidion  as  to 
suggest  beyond  a  doubt  the  relation  between  them,  ot 
cause  and  effect.  Is  any  one  of  our  Yearl}^  Meetings 
willing  to  take  a  warning,  and  magnanimous  enough  to 
retrace  its  suicidal  steps  of  legislation  ? ' ' 

ON    EI.DERS   AND   THEIR   USE. 

"'A  PerpIvKxed  Friend,'  in  the  Worker,  has  been 
made  happy  in  discovering  'What  Elders  are  for.'  He 
found  it  in  a   Monthly  Meeting  when  some  were  being 

'  made, '  and  it  was  urged  that  Sister '  had  always  been 

a  sweet  spirited  Friend,  and  it  would  be  a  great  satisfaction 
to  her  to  be  placed  in  the  station  of  an  Elder.'  It  was  then 
opened  to  the  mind  of  the  writer  that  the  office  was  *  a 
kind  of  reward  for  being  good,'  that  '  a  favored  few  could 
know  that  they  were  appreciated.'  We  confess  to  some 
surprise  that  such  reflections  upon  a  large  and  respectable 
portion  of  the  church  should  be  found  in  the  columns  of 
the  Worker  ;  but  when  we  remember  the  indifference  with 
which  many  talk  of  'dropping  Ministers  and  Elders,' 
nowadays,  it  is  readily  seen  that  the  people  are  taught  to 
regard  these  offices  with  contempt,  and  only  of  man's  in- 
stitution, and  subject  to  his  whim,  instead  of  Divine  au- 
thority and  appointment." 

ALL   IN   JESUS. 

"'Oh!  well,'  says  one,  'don't  we  have  all  in  Jesus 
anyhow,  whether  it  is  Justification  or  Sanctification,  and 
if  I  have  Christ,  do  I  not  have  everything  in  Him  ?  '  We 
answer  that  in  Him,  truly,  'are  hid  all  the  treasures  of 


196  MEMOIR  OF  DA  VID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

wisdom  and  knowledge,'  but  these  can  only  become  ours 
as  they  are  appropriated.  And  this  takes  place  only  accord- 
ing to  our  deeply  felt  and  conscious  need.  Then  there 
must  be  the  power  of  asshnilation  in  the  moral  nature, 
so  that  we  may  be  real  partakers  of  the  divme  nature.  A 
man  may  own  a  farm,  but  his  stomach  may  be  in  such  a 
condition  that  he  can  neither  digest,  nor  assimilate  any 
of  its  principal  products  of  corn,  beef,  or  fruit.  These 
then  can  never  be  his,  in  the  sense  of  which  we  speak, 
though  he  owns  them  all.  Just  so  there  are  multitudes 
who  can  feed  on  Christ  as  manna,  that  cannot  possibly  di- 
gest the  '  old  corn  '  of  the  land,  or  '  hidden  manna,'  or 
Christ  as  our  food  in  resurrection  life,  simply  because 
they  do  not  have  that  kind  of  life. " 

ON   THE    USE   OF   "REV." 

"Friends'  Review  once  more  passes  around  Spur- 
geon's  contempt  for  the  use  of  'Rev.'  in  connection  with 
the  names  of  Gospel  ministers.  But  with  an  inconsist- 
ency that  is  almost  universal,  it  has  an  array  of  the  names 
of  no  less  than  a  dozen  of  its  titled  co?itributors  on  its  last 
page.  About  ten  of  these  are  Quaker  preachers,  having 
worldly  titles  of  honor,  such  as  Ph.D.,  M.D.,  LL.D.,  A.M., 
and  Ltt.D.  And  we  notice  that  whenever  such  degrees 
of  honor  are  conferred,  they  are  carefully  recorded  in 
Friends'  journal  generally.  But  we  have  never  discov- 
ered that  '  this  inverition'  flourished  in  the  days  of  Paul, 
LL.D.,  Apollos,  Ltt.D.,  or  the  Cephos,  A.M.  Are  these 
titles  any  less  objectional)le  than  it  is  to  distinguish  John 
Doe  the  preacher,  from  John  Doe,  the  blacksmith,  by 
using  the  prefix  '  Rev.'  before  the  name  of  the  former? 
If  it  is  only  a  question  of  'honors,'  away  with  the  whole 


HIS  VIEWS  ON  VARIOUS  TOPICS,  197 

lot,  we  say — but  what's  the  use  of  straining  out  gnats  in 
order  to  swallow  camels?  " 

ON    DEPOSING   MINISTERS. 

'''Our  manner  of  "acknowledging"  ministers,  is  a 
testimony  to  the  fact  that  we  solemnly  believe  that  God 
has  called  and  commissioned  them  to  preach  the  Gospel. 
Our  manner  of  deposing  them  in  some  places,  is  a  testi- 
mony to  the  assumption  of  men  to  control  or  silence  God's 
messengers  at  pleasure.  Here  are  the  highest  preten- 
sions to  spirituality  in  the  one  case,  and  the  very  least 
evidence  of  it  in  the  other. 

"No  chnrch  171  Christendom  makes  so  light  a  matter  of 
forfeiting  the  '  official  position  '  of  a  minister  of  the  Gos- 
pel as  the  church  in  Iowa.  We  record  it  with  sorrow 
and  shame,  but  Iowa  caps  the  clmiax,  and  its  severity  is 
simply  unparalleled.  For  the  simple  act  of  taking  a  piece 
of  bread  a?id  a  sip  of  wine  on  communion  occasions  with 
other  Christians  he  'thereby  forfeits  his  official  position, 
and  the  meeting  to  which  he  belongs  shall  release  hiyn 
theref/om.''  There  is  no  option,  no  trial,  no  investigation 
of  motives  or  convictions.  Notwithstanding  he  might 
make  the  most  solemn  asseverations  of  cojiscience  toward 
God,  and  be  the  most  useful  and  God-honored  minister 
in  that  church,  it  makes  no  difference.  This  decree 
works  like  the  automatic  ax  of  the  Tribunal.  It  knows 
no  plea  for  mercy — no  extenuations  are  allowed.  King 
Herod  may  be  '  sorry,  nevertheless  for  the  oath's  sake  he 
sent  and  beheaded  John  in  prison.'  Or,  like  the  foolish 
vow  of  Jephthah,  '  I  have  opened  my  mouth  unto  the 
Lord,  and  I  cannot  go  back.'  The  word  of  the  bloody 
captain  of  a  free-booter's  band  must  be  kept  sacred. 


198  MEMOIR  OF  DA  VID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

•*  *  The  mighty  Jephthah  led  his  warriors  on 
Through  Mizpeh's  streets. 

.  .  .  "A  moment  more, 
And  he  had  reached  his  home,  when  lo !  there  sprang 
One  with  a  bounding  footstep,  a  brow 
Of  light,  to  meet  him..  .  .  . 
And  she  who  was  to  die,  the  calmest  one 
In  Israel  at  that  hour,  stood  up  alone, 
And  waited  for  the  sun  to  set.' 

*' In  secular  law  there  is  provision  made  for  a  fair  trial 
by  jury  of  the  worst  criminals  in  the  land.  Thieves,  rob- 
bers, and  murderers  are  protected  in  their  natural  right 
to  live,  until  an  impartial  jury  shall  deliberately  decide  it 
to  be  '  forfeited.' 

' '  In  Africa  they  sentence  one  convicted  of  witchcraft 
to  drink  a  basinful  of  the  deadly  poison,  sass-wood  tea. 
For  many  small  stomachs  this  is  an  overdose,  and  is  at 
once  thrown  up,  and  the  life  of  the  victim  is  saved.  But 
this  is  their  only  hope,  and  considered  a  great  mercy  when 
the  quantity  is  so  large  as  to  produce  this  effect.  No  doubt 
there  is  a  kind  providence  in  it,  and  there  is  a  similar  con- 
solation concerning  the  sad  event  here  discussed." 

ON    SILENCE    IN    MEETINGS. 

"Our  English  critics  have  charged  that  '  otir  hereditary 
principles  of  wonship  and  ministry  have  been  abolished. ' 
We  think  not.  It  will  be  agreed  upon  all  sides  that  the 
ideal  and  '  hereditary  principle  of  worship  and  ministry  ' 
is  '  in  spirit  and  in  truth.'  And  we  also  agree  that  this 
is  on  the  basis  of  the  '  silence  of  all  flesh.'  But  w^hat  does 
this  mean  ?  To  our  critics  it  means  '  the  quiet,  meditat- 
ive meeting,'  where  the  outward  silence  is  but  little  if 
ever  broken.  But  it  is  evident  that  this  is  a  very  super- 
ficial view  of  what  true  '  silence '  is.     In  such  outward 


HIS  VIEWS  ON  VARIOUS  TOPICS,  199 

stillness  there  may  be  the  most  turbulent  feelings,  dis- 
tressing doubts,  mental  conflicts,  and  spiritual  uncertain- 
ties. If  so,  that  soul  has  found  no  true  'silence'  before 
God  at  all,  and  is  utterly  unqualified  to  open  his  mouth 
in  a  public  assembly,  except  as  an  inquirer,  or  in  personal 
prayer  for  salvation.  We  insist  upon  it  that  such  an  one 
knows  yiothing  of  what  our  fathers  called  *  silence  before 
God,'  though  he  may  have  been  sitting  in  'silent  meet- 
ings '  all  his  life.  But  the  very  common  error  is  to  think 
that  such  a  'silence  can  heal  these  w^ounds,'  or  that  it 
'  opens  a  doorway  towards  the  refuge  from  doubt,'  etc. 
as  says  Miss  Stephen.  This  is  a  great  mistake.  Jesus  is 
the  only  Healer  and  the  only  Refuge,  and  one  hour  spent 
as  a  committed  seeker  after  salvation,  and  in  vocal,  per- 
sonal prayer  to  God  in  Jesus'  name,  will  do  more  for  such 
a  soul  than  a  thousand  silent  meetings.  This  is  settled 
beyond  dispute,  and  we  have  seen  thousands  of  witnesses 
who  have  tried  both  ways  and  can  testify  with  David : 
'  When  I  kept  silence  my  bones  waxed  old  through  my 
roaring  all  the  day  long.  I  said  I  will  confess  my  trans- 
gressions unto  the  Lord,  and  thou  forgavest  the  iniquity 
of  my  sin.' 

' '  We  may  then  ask  with  Job,  '  When  He  giveth  quiet- 
ness, w^ho  can  make  trouble  ? '  This  is  the  kind  of  still- 
ness, and  the  only  kind,  in  w^hich  the  voice  of  God  may 
be  clearly  heard,  and  equally  w^ell  whether  in  much  or 
little  outward  silence.  'The  kingdom  of  heaven  is 
righteousness  and  peace  and  joy  in  the  Holy  Ghost: 
'Keep  in  perfect  peace  with  the  mind  stayed  on  God!' 
Such  is  our  view  of  the  'silence  of  all  flesh,'  and  very 
many  Friends  in  America  walk  in  the  power  of  this  ex- 
perience, and  e7iter  the  house  of  God  in  communion  with 
Him,  and  are  quite  prepared  to  hear  His  voice.    Is  it  any 


200         MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.  UPDEGRAFF- 

marvel  then  that  the  Holy  Spirit  can  inwiediately  use  a 
vessel  thus  prepared  for  the  ministry  of  His  word.  Now 
this  is  being  '  moved  by  the  Spirit,''  and  is  widely  different 
from  that  chronic  attitude  of  unreadiness  that  is  always 
waiting  to  be  '  moved,'  but  seldom  or  never  is.  It  is  the 
difference  betw^een  a  real  experience  of  interior  quiet,  that 
is  ready  for  speech  or  stillness,  and  that  conventional 
silence  that  may  be  *  hereditary,'  but  is  generally  a  slav- 
ish obedience  to  a  religious  sentiment." 

ON    DISTINCTION    BETWEEN   JUSTIFICATION   AND 
SANCTIFICATION. 

"  While  there  are  a  few  persons  who  confound  Justifi- 
cation wnth  Sanctification,  it  is  generally  conceded  that 
they  are  quite  distinct  from  each  other,  and  not  at  all  one 
and  the  same  thing.  True,  there  are  points  of  analogy 
and  some  things  common  to  both,  but  for  us  to  dwell 
upon  these  to  the  exclusion  of  the  points  of  contrast,  is 
only  to  perpetuate  a  confusion  of  ideas.  Both  are  re- 
ceived hy  faith,  and  both  are  among  '  the  things  that  are 
freely  given  us  of  God.'  And  in  both  cases  there  must 
be  entire  submission  to  His  will.  Yet  the  Scriptural 
distinctions  between  the  two  are  so  obvious  and  so  uni- 
versally recognized  by  theologians  and  experimental  Chris- 
tians, that  it  would  be  unnecessary  to  dwell  upon  them, 
were  it  not  for  the  attempt  repeatedly  made,  to  confound 
Justification  with  Sanctification.  And  while  these  at- 
tempts disregard  the  most  common  and  Scriptural  modes 
of  speech,  they  are  often  successful  in  perplexing  the 
honest  inquirer.  Now  let  us  inquire  what  is  Justifica- 
tion f  It  is  a  law  term ,  and  strictly  refers  to  that  Divine 
act  by  zvhich  a  sinner  is  absolved  fro7n  the  guilt  and  pen- 
alty of  his  sin.     It  is  not  the  acquittal  of  one  who  is 


HIS  VIEWS  ON  VARIOUS  TOPICS. 


201 


proven   innoce7it—hVii  the  pardon  or  forgiveness  of  one 
who  confesses  guilt.     But  a  just  and  holy  God  cannot  ex- 
ercise such  clemency  as  this,  without  a  divine  warrant, 
and  righteous  ground  on  which  to  act.     And  this  is  only 
found  in  the  cross  of  Christ.     The  justice,  holiness,  and 
moral  glory  of  God' s  government  are  all  maintained  in 
the  at07iement  of  His  Son  Jesus  Christ,  and  at  the  same 
time  '  the  kindness  and  love  of  God   our  Savior  toward 
man  appeared.'     It  is  in  \4rtue  of  the  cross  that  God  can 
be   'just,   and  the  justifier   of  him  which  believeth  in 
Jesus.'     'Justification  by  faith,'  then  means  God's  for- 
giveness of  the  sinner  that  repents,  confesses,  and  ac- 
cepts the  atonement  of  Jesus  Christ.      But  this  includes 
regcjieration,  or  the  neiv  birth,  that  special  work  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  by  which  we  become  '  partakers  of  the  Di- 
vine nature.'     This  is  not  the  old  nature  changed,  but  a 
new  nature  implanted.     'A  new  creation; '  '  born  of  the 
spirit;'  'born  from  above.'     It  is  a  Christ-like,  law-lov- 
ing, and  obedient  nature,  that  is  possessed  by  this  new 
Hfe— antagonistic  in  all  respects  to  his  elder  brother,  the 
'old  man'  of  sin,  over  whom  we  are  promised  victory, 
from  the  very  start,  '  if  we  will  walk  in  the  Spirit:     And 
the  Spirit, '  the  spirit  of  adoption,  whereby  we  cry,  Abba, 
Father,'  is  certainly  given  to  every  new  born  child  of 
God,  '  that  we  might  receive  the  adoption  of  sons.'     And 
these  three  things,  pardon,  regeneration,  and  adoption  are 
rightly  included  in  the  New  Testament  idea  of  fustifca- 
tion  by  faith.     And  though  complemental  to  each  other, 
they  are  so  entirely  contemporaneous,  that  we  can  never 
consciously  separate  them. 

*'  1.    It  will  thus  be  clearly  seen  that  fustification  is  a 
S.\^v^Z  complete  in  itself,  and  incapable  of  either  expansion, 

decrease,  or  progress. 
14 


202  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

**  2.  It  has  special  reference  to  '  the  remission  oi  sins 
that  are  past,'  and  the  penalty  of  violated  law  is  borne 
by  another. 

"  3.  Justification  removes  guilt  and  condemnation  from 
the  conscience,  and  brings  in  the  favor  of  God  and  His 
love  *  shed  abroad  in  the  heart. ' 

"4.  Justification  precedes  Sanctification  as  the  ob- 
ject of  desire  and  search  on  the  part  of  the  sinner,  whose 
past  sms  or  'transgressions,'  are  his  burden,  and  who 
cries  for  '  mercy  '  and  forgiveness. 

"5.  Justification  is  distinct  from  Sanctification  when 
regarded  in  reference  to  the  order  of  the  work  of  Christ. 
Christ  is  our  Justification  on  the  cross.  We  are  '  recon- 
ciled to  God  by  the  death  of  His  Son.'  To  be  sure,  there 
is  a  vital  union  between  Justification  and  Sanctification, 
and  using  the  term  with  this  wide  meaning,  every  one 
that  is  justified,  is  also  sanctified  in  a  certain  vSense.  This 
term  is  frequently  used  in  Scripture  in  a  judicial  sense, 
and  applied  both  to  persons  and  things  devoted,  vseparated 
or  consecrated  to  the  Lord  or  His  service.  But  the  en- 
tire Sanctification  of  which  we  speak — that  for  which 
Jesus  prays  in  John  17,  and  Paul  in  Thessalonians,  etc., 
has  a  different  meaning,  viz. ,  to  make  pure  a7id  holy.  We 
have  seen  that  while  regenerating  grace  brings  in  a  ?iew 
life — it  is  not  accompanied  w4th  the  destruction  of  the 
old.  And  the  uniform  experience  of  Christians  has  been 
that  '  these  are  contrary  the  one  to  the  other,  so  that  ye 
cannot  do  the  things  that  ye  w^ould.'  And  here  is  the  key 
to  those  '  sins  of  omission,^  about  which  we  all  know  so 
much.  But  Christ  has  died  to  make  men  holy,  and  will 
'  grant  unto  us  that  we,  being  delivered  out  of  the  hand 
of  our  enemies,  might  serve  Him  without  fear,  in  holi- 
ness and  righteousness  before  Him  all  the  days  of  our  life.' 


HIS  VIEWS  UPON  VARIOUS  TOPICS. 


203 


**1.  But  Sanctification  even  when  entire,  or  love  even 
when  'perfect,'  is  not  of  such  a  nature  as  to  exclude  prog- 
ress, or  expansion,  as  Justification  does. 

'•2.  Sanctification  has  not  reference  to  the  forgiveness 
of  sins  com77iitted,  but  cleansing  from  the  pollution,  or  the 
expulsion  of  inbred  sin.  It  deals  not  with  the  past,  but 
offers  preservation  in  the  present. 

"3.  It  deals  not  with  the  guilt  of  sin,  but  expels  the 
inward  proneness  to  it,  the  love  of  it,  and  gives  power 
over  temptation  through  the  indwelling  Holy  Ghost. 

"4.  Sanctification  is  to  be  sought  and  obtained  only 
by  those  who  are  walking  in  the  light  of  Justification,  and 
are  neither  cold  nor  backslidden  in  heart.  Such  only  can 
'  yield  themselves  to  God  as  those  that  are  alive  from  the 
dead:  A  special  kind  of  yielding,  and  totally  different 
from  the  blind  submission  required  of  a  sinner  who  may 
seek  and  find  Justification. 

"5.  Christ  is  our  Sanctification,  or  this  work  is 
wrought  and  perpetuated  within  us  by  Him  who  '  dwells 
in  our  hearts  by  faith.'  But  this  is  resurrection  life,  and 
maintained  by  the  Holy  Ghost  sent  down  from  heaven, 
as  His  ascension  gift  'to  them  that  obey  Him.'  Now 
*  sinners '  and  rebels  have  no  part  nor  lot  in  this  only  ac- 
cording to  Divine  order.  ' Enemies ^  must  be  'reconciled 
to  God  hy  the  death  of  His  Son.'  But  '  bei?tg  reconciled, 
we  shall  be  saved  by  His  life:  The  one  is  the  sequence 
of  the  other— and  the  ojily  road  to  peace  is  '  through  the 
blood  of  His  cross:  It  was  there  that  our  Lord  Jesus  did 
the  work  for  us,  that  when  individually  appropriated 
justifies  \\s,  and  puts  us  into  such  Divine  relationship,  as 
to  bring  within  the  compass  of  our  faith,  that  other 
work  of  the  blessed  Holy  Spirit  within  us  which  is 
called  Entire  Sanctification." 


204  MEMOIR  OF  DA  VID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

ON    TASTORS   AND    THEIR   SUPPORT. 

"  This  is  rapidly  becoming  a  most  absorbing  question. 
The  lines  are  being  drawn  with  a  great  deal  of  zeal.  R. 
H.  Thomas,  M.  D.,  has  four  and  a  half  columns  in  a  late 
'  Worker '  opposing  the  whole  plan.  So  also  does  the 
'Interchange.'  The  'Review,'  thinks  the  'system  of 
paid  pastorates  is  radically  unsuited  to  the  Societ}"  of 
Friends,  and  will  tend  either  to  its  rapid  dissolution  or  to 
its  entire  transformation.'  Its  editor  has  also  found  a 
'  Yearly  Meeting  Clerk,'  who  says  that  if  we  accept  the 
system,  '  we  must  give  up  the  Society  of  Friends.'  And 
we  have  found  this  sentiment  so  strongly  held  by  some 
that  they  apprehend  that  this  is  in  fact  the  most  deadly 
foe  of  all  the  lot  that  lie  in  wait  for  the  destruction  of  our 
afflicted  church.  But  '  the  unkindest  cut  of  all '  comes 
from  J.  T.  D.  Jr.,  who  'smites  his  fellow-servants'  in 
about  five  columns  of  the  '  Star  and  Crown.'  He  quotes 
with  perfect  complacency  the  '  Interchange's  '  denuncia- 
tions of  those  who  'desire  the  so-called  ordinances,  a  sup- 
ported vimistry,  or  a  pre-arrangement  of  services,'  etc., 
though  at  the  vSame  time  he  is  receiving  the  comfortable 
'  support '  of  $100  per  month  !  That  seems  hardly  fair. 
But  in  such  ecclesiastical  discussions  we  cannot  be  too 
watchful  in  a  single-eyed  search  after  the  trtUh,  since  the 
temptations  are  so  great  to  retain  the  honor  that  comes 
from  man  and  the  church,  and  not  that  coming  from  God 
only.    May  He  keep  us  in  His  love  and  defend  the  right. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

viKWvS  ON  VARIOUS  TOPICS — {Continued). 

BAPTISM  WITH  THK  HOLY  GHOST.      MINISTRY  OF  WOMEN. 

THK  biblp:,  etc. 

BAPTISM    WITH   THP:    HOLY    GHOST. 

CCH^HIS  is  the  dispensation  of  the  Holy  vSpirit,  and  He 
I  has  been  present  with  the  church  ever  since  Pen- 
tecost, to  convict,  regenerate,  comfort,  teach,  sanctify  and 
anoint  the  sons  of  God.  When  Jesus  is  preached  to  sin- 
ners, the  Holy  Spirit  is  present  to  convince  of  sin,  and  if 
not  resisted,  to  regenerate.  But  the  birth  of  the  Spirit  is 
to  be  distinguished  from  the  baptism  with  the  Spirit  which 
is  promised  to  them  that  have  already  been  converted, 
and  to  none  others.  It  is  to  them  that  '  obey  Him,'  that 
*  God  hath  given  the  Holy  Ghost :  To  present  the  simple, 
plain  gospel  truth  to  the  people  of  God  concerning  this 
blessed  baptism,  along  with  the  glad  tidings  of  salvation 
to  the  sinner,  has  been  our  high  privilege,  together  with 
a  large  number  of  the  Lord's  servants,  for  nearly  a  score 
of  3^ears.  To  find  either  a  minister  or  a  lajanan  who 
could  continue  to  resist  the  overwhelming  proofs  and 
logic  of  Scripture,  after  a  fair  hearing,  has  been  rare. 
Multitudes  have,  however,  been  unwilling  to  pay  the  price 
in  the  needful  consecration,  w^hile  admitting  the  truth 
concerning  the  reception   and  sanctifying  power  of  the 

(205) 


206  MEMOIR  OF  DA  VID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

Holy  Ghost.  Many  believe  in  the  Holy  Ghost  that  have 
never  believed yi?r  the  Holy  Ghost.  It  is  to  this  experience 
of  being  '  filled  with  the  Spirit,'  and  the  consequent  holi- 
ness of  heart  and  life  that  is  wrought  thereby  in  the  in- 
most soul  of  the  believer — it  is  to  this  induement  of  power 
that  we  owe  the  wonderful  work  of  grace  within  our  own 
church,  within  the  past  twenty  years,  as  well  as  the  wide- 
spread and  gracious  revival  of  Holiness  in  most  of  the 
churches  in  the  land.  The  preachers  have  been  anointed 
with  the  Holy  Ghost  sent  down  from  heaven,  and  thou- 
sands of  the  most  intelligent  and  spiritual  in  the  church 
have  understood,  believed  and  received.  This  work  has 
not  been  wholly  constructive,  because  there  was  much 
existi7ig  that  God  had  a  controversy  with,  and  that  must 
be  *  overturned.'  This  has  brought  conflict  and  opposi- 
tion, just  as  in  Apostolic  days,  and  some  blemishes,  no 
doubt.  And  there  have  been  those  all  along  who  pre- 
ferred the  death  and  '  apathy  of  previous  years, '  to  see- 
ing the  Temple  tables  overthrown,  and  having  the  scourge 
of  small  cords  applied.  And  then  there  have  been  those 
who  were  opposed  to  our  theology  of  a  prese^it  and  full 
salvatio?i,  or  deliverance  from  all  sin.  And  as  long  as 
seve7i  years  ago,  we  wrote  concerning  the  reactionary 
movement  of  all  of  the  opposing  forces  to  the  preaching 
of  *  the  Baptism  with  the  Holy  Ghost,  as  a  definite  ex- 
perience and  subsequent  to  conversion.'  As  this  opposi- 
tion has  *  sought  occasion,'  it  has  of  course  '  found  occa- 
sion.' It  did  so  in  the  case  of  Stephen,  and  he  was  the 
first  martyr  to  this  same  spirit.  '  This  preaching  '  of  the 
good  old  gospel  of  the  New  Testament,  and  of  our  fathers, 
has  been  repeatedly  said  to  be  a  '  recent  invention  of  two 
or  three  persons  within  our  own  membership.'  If  we  say 
there  7?iay  be  more  than  '  one  baptism,    (in  some  sense) 


VIEWS  ON  VARIOUS  TOPICS.  207 

we  are  rebuked  as  heretics,  and  it  is  declared  there  is  only 
'one:  And  then  if  we  agree  that  the  baptism  with  the 
Holy  Ghost  is  indeed  but  '  one:  then  this  is  denied  in  turn, 
and  it  is  claimed  that  there  are  viany  of  the  same.  Now, 
we  have  no  desire  for  discussion  in  this  article,  but  it  be- 
comes our  duty  to  expose  and  protest  against  the  equivo- 
cal position  of  some  who  push  their  objections  and  nega- 
tions to  the  front  without  allowing  opportunity  for  reply. 
Who  profess  to  believe  in  true  holiness,  but  offer  nothing 
but  Plymouth  Brethrenism  to  their  readers  in  its  stead. 
Who  seem  to  worship  as  tndh  the  most  glaring  errors, 
over  which  is  thrown  the  sanction  of  position  and  in- 
fluence. 

"Two  or  three  papers  have  recently  appeared,  of  such 
remarkable  boldness,  that  we  must  at  least  call  attention 
to  them.     Their  author  has  never  found  in  Scripture  '  the 
possibility  of  an  entire  and  immediate  eradication  of  our 
inherited,  sinful,  and  fallen  nature  by  a  momentary  act 
of  faith.'     Nor  has  anybody  else.     Such  is  not  the  claim. 
But  we  suppose  it  is  meant  '  by  the  one  baptism  with  the 
Holy  Ghost  received  through  faith.'     That  would  be  a 
fair  and  true  statement  of  the  position  combatted.     To 
justify  his  position,  the  case  of  Pete7'  is  taken.     'That 
Peter  and  all  his  associates  had  been  greatly  blessed  by 
thai  visitatio7i:  (?)  etc.,  is  generally  admitted— cool  as  this 
seems  for   Pentecost.     But   '  his  fallen  and  unsandified, 
carnal  nature  Qlmig  to  him,'  as  he  gives  '  abundant  evi- 
dence.'    '  Eighteen  years  after  this  memorable  event,  we 
find  Peter  manifesting  all  the  treachery  and  cowardly  qual- 
ities of  his  old  carnal  nature  still  alive  within  him  after 
Pentecost  as  before,  although  geyierally  held  in  subjec- 
tion! '  etc.     '  He  committed  the  most  flagrant  and  inex- 
cusable  act   of  his  life  in  that  gross  dissimulatioji:  etc. 


208  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.  VPDEGRAFF, 

Now,  some  of  our  readers  will  be  astonished  at  the  bold- 
ness of  one  who  dares  to  go  such  lengths  beyond  Paul, 
in  his  indictment  of  Peter.  We  have  no  apologies  to 
offer  for  Peter,  and  Paul  plainly  says  that  '  he  hath  in- 
curred reproach.'  Gal.  2:  11.  His  anxiety,  lest  he  should 
lay  a  stumbling-block  in  the  way  of  his  conservative 
brethren,  led  him  to  look  too  much  to  the  law  of  expedi- 
ency, and  conscientiously,  too,  but  it  was  ivro7ig,  not- 
withstanding, and  the  Holy  Ghost  has  fully  rebuked  and 
published  that  wrong  in  Gal.  2.  To  go  beyond  the  rec- 
ord, in  the  attempt  to  drag  down  apostolic  experience  to 
a  level  with  our  own,  is  the  inevitable  accompaniment  of 
a  low  estimate  of  the  Pentecostal  baptism.  To  minimize 
this  by  calling  it  a  '  visitation^  is  to  contradict  the  prom- 
ise of  the  '  abidi7ig  Comforter '  in  John  14 :  6,  and  else- 
where. But  if  we  fail  to  make  it  appear  that  the  apos- 
tles even  after  Pentecost  were  injuriously  affected  by 
their  educational  prejudices  and  frailties,  we  fail  in  sev- 
eral things  that  have  been  undertaken,  and  hence  a  great 
deal  of  our  recent  literature  has  been  indirectly  directed 
to  this  end.  Our  writer  thinks  there  is  evidence  that 
*  near  the  close '  of  Peter's  life  '  he  had  largely  been 
changed  mio  His  likeness,  from  glory  to  glory.'  Now, 
just  a  few  questions: 

"1.  Was  Peter  really  baptized  with  the  Holy  Ghost  at 
Pentecost? 

"2.  Was  this  an  act  '  suddenly'  performed  by  his  as- 
cended lyord  according  to  His  promise,  in  contradistinc- 
tion to  a  process  without  definitejiess  in  its  beginning  or 
end? 

"3.  Do  we  agree  to  Barclay's  definition  of  this  'bap- 
tism of  Christ;  that  is,  of  the  Spirit  and  of  fire?  '  namely, 
'  Where  the  Spirit  ot  God  hath  ptirified  the  soul  and  the 


VIEIVS  ON  VARIOUS  TOPICS.  209 

fire  of  His  judgments  hath  burned  up  the  2inrighteous 
natjire  f ' 

"4.  If  we  do,  how  is  it  that  Peter's  '  old  carnal  nature ' 
could  both  '  cling  to  him  '  and  be  '  bnr>ied  up  '  at  the  same 
time? 

"5.  But  was  Peter  deceived  when  he  testified,  in  Acts 
15:  8-9,  that  God  had pjirijied  Xh^ix  hearts  by  faith,  when 
He  gave  them  the  Holy  Ghost  ? 

"6.  And  even  if  he  does  com^nit  a  sin  eighteen  years 
after,  what  is  the  reason  that  it  cannot  be  accounted  for 
just  as  we  accoimt  for  Adam's  sin?  namely,  ^y yielding 
to  a  temptation  of  the  devil,  7iotwithsta7iding  he  had  a 
pure  heart  ?  Any  man  may  do  this,  and  at  any  time,  this 
side  of  Heaven.  But  such  a  reasonable  and  Scriptural 
hypothesis  as  this  would  spoil  the  theology  so  zealously 
taught  in  these  papers,  namely.  That  the  '  Savior  sancti- 
fies His  people  ...  by  His  rod  and  prmiing -knife,  by  his 
fan' and  fire  and  havmier'  as  well  as  '  by  His  blood,'  etc. 
'  That  by  long  and  earnest  endeavor,  by  continued  watch- 
fulness and  prayer,  by  habitual  submission  to  the  Lord's 
chastenijig  and  sa7ictifyi7ig  ijifltience,  this  sweet  experience 
of  continually  abiding  in  Him  might  be  realized'  {Italics 
always  ours.) 

* '  This  method  of  obtaining  sanctification  is  not  only 
the  doctrine  of  our  brother,  but  he  affirms  it  to  be  the 
doctrine  of  the  '  fathers  of  our  church.'  And  in  immedi- 
ate connection  with  this  doctrijie  oi  sanctification  through 
suffering,  he  gives  us  his  own  experience,  and,  though 
not  stating  that  it  was  given  to  prove  and  illustrate  the 
doctrine,  that  inference  seems  a  fair  one,  and,  indeed, 
almost  irresistible.  If  we  are  to  take  Peter's  experience 
as  proving  that  one  baptism  with  the  Holy  Ghost  did 
NOT  SANCTIFY  him  (nor  yet  the  '  repeated  baptisms  and 


210  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

visitations'  received  during  eighteen  jxars),  we  are 
clearly  entitled  to  take  the  brother's  experience  as  at 
least  intended  to  prove  his  claim  that  suffering  does.  We 
quote*  from  a  letter  addressed  to  '  Young  and  Old,'  and 
'  possibly  for  the  last  time : ' 

"  '  It  has  pleased  the  Lord,  as  3'ou  know,  after  several 
years  of  more  or  less  suffering  from  nerv^ous  prostration, 
to  visit  me  with  a  severe,  and  it  is  supposed  mortal,  dis- 
ease, which  for  eight  months  past  has  involved  continual 
pain  and  uncertainty  of  life  from  week  to  week. 

"  'Added  to  this  more  recently  have  been  the  results 
of  a  fearful  fall  in  a  moment  of  unconsciousness,  which 
seemed  to  increase  my  sufferings  almost  beyond  the  limit 
of  human  endurance.  And  so  it  would  have  been,  dear 
Friends,  but  for  the  grace  and  power  of  our  loving  Lord 
and  Savior,  who  has  continually  sustained  me  with  His 
life-giving  presence.' 

**  We  praise  the  Lord  for  this  testimony  to  His  sustain- 
ing grace,  though  it  is  not  a  testimonj^  to  '  entire  sanctifi- 
cation.'  Whether  our  brother  could  give  such  a  testi- 
mony at  this  time  or  not,  we  cannot  say.  But  we  have 
examined  witnesses  wIjo  have  been  working  on  his  line 
iox  fifty  years,  and  have  never  3'et  found  one  who  really 
believed  that  he  was  '  cleansed  from  all  sin , '  and  that  the 
'  unrighteous  nature  was  burned  up.'  'According  to  your 
faith  be  it  unto  you.'  " 

LETTER   TO  A   MINISTER    IN   SEARCH   OF   HOI^INKSS. 

' ' '  My  Dear  Friend — I  am  \^xy  grateful  for  this  No. 
of  The  Expositor.  Its  valuable  contents  have  re- 
awakened desires  to  know  3'ou  personally.     I  want  to  see 


*T.  Kimber,  Review,  8tli  mo.  11,  and  9th  mo.  8th,  1887. 


VIEWS  ON  VARIOUS  TOPICS.  211 

and  know  you.  A  few  friends  here  are  crying  for  the 
light — for  holiness,  and  for  their  sakes  and  my  own,  I  do 
ask  you  to  entertain  the  thought  of  a  visit  to  New  Orleans. 
Please  write  me  regarding  this.  We  have  just  had  Rev. 
Sam  Jones.  Immense  numbers  attended  his  meetings  and 
we  hope  that  good  was  done,  but  the  great  need  here  is 
a  consecrated  and  a  spirit-baptized  discipleship.  I  have 
noted  your  reply  to  a  Congregational  minister,  which  is 
commended  to  me  by  all  I  know  of  the  Word,  yet  I  am 
as  one  in  the  dark,  on  extremely  dangerous  ground.  I, 
too,  *  have  preached  beyond  my  experience '  —  what  I 
wanted,  rather  than  what  I  had.  I  cannot  and  dare  not 
suffer  this  to  be  true  longer.  I  hear  a  voice,  friendly, 
that  reaches  me  from  the  darkness,  but  I  see  no  one,  can 
touch  no  one — cannot  go  to  the  one  who  speaks.  L,ike 
your  correspondence,  I  cry,  '  Woe  is  me  if  I  preach  not.' 
Yet  the  experience  of  grace  that  I  need  and  which  I  wa7it, 
I  have  not,  but  7nust  have,  or  Christ  will  not  be  glorified 
in  me,  nor  shall  I  glorify  Him,  '  Who  shall  deliver  me 
from  the  body  of  this  death? ' 

' '  The  above  deeply  interesting  letter  is  from  another 
Congregational  minister.  How  perfectly  ingenuous  and 
Christian  is  the  spirit  of  it.  How  intelligently  described 
is  the  spiritual  condition,  and  the  felt  need.  Who  can 
doubt  that  this  dear  brother  has  been  taught  of  the  Lord, 
and  that  his  'hunger  '  has  been  created  by  the  Holy  Spirit, 
not  to  mock  or  disappoint,  but  that  he  may  be  '  filled  with 
all  the  fullness  of  God.'  Most  unhesitatingly  then  do 
we  answer  your  question,  with  the  words  of  Paul.  '  I  thank 
God,  through  Jesus  Christ,  our  Lord,'  there  is  deliverance 
for  you,  brother — for  you  now,  3.nd  Jesus  is  the  deliverer, 
through  faith.  He  waits  your  passiveness  that  He  may 
'  baptize  you  with  the  Holy  Ghost  and  with  fire' — yield 


212  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

yourself  utterly  to  God,  and  die  to  your  opinions,  and 
theology  and  preaching  and  church,  that  may  be  adverse 
to  the  doctrine  and  experience  and  confession  of  entire 
Sanctification  now — Die  to  all  of  this  for  it  is  of  the  carnal 
mind,  not  of  God.  Die  io yourself ,  self-will,  self-seeking, 
self-hood  in  all  its  hateful  forms.  Die — '  Reckon  your- 
self dead — indeed  unto  sin ' — not  sinso^  certain  kinds — but 
si7i — as  an  entity — as  a  synonj^n  of  self.  That  is  the  best 
receipt  we  can  give  you  for  dissolving  a  hated  union.  It's 
better  than  divorce,  or  subjugation..  Just  die — God  helps 
us  wonderfully  on  this  line.  Don't  be  afraid  of  going 
down — down  into  the  blessed  will  of  God.  It  is  easy  to 
sink  down — hard  to  climl)  up.  We  never  get  sanctified 
until  we  get  l>elo7v  the  earth  level.  No  resurrection  life, 
until  '  buried  with  Christ.'  On  thefoor  of  the  tomb  we 
find  Him,  and  there  we  leave  the  grave  clothes  of  sin — 
or  the  old  '  body  of  this  death,'  and  rise  with  Him  in  a 
life  hid  with  Christ  in  God.'  Only  pay  the  price  and  do 
it  quick — then  trust  Jesus — God  bless  you  !  " 

COURAGE. 

**  'Be  thou  strong  and  very  courageotis'  is  God's  word 
to  all  who  would  serve  Him,  but  it  is  especially  import- 
ant to  Ministers.  What  is  more  pitiful  than  a  coward  in 
the  pulpit.  How  can  God  bless  the  work  of  an  ambas- 
sador who  is  enslaved  by  his  fear  of  man  or  of  the  church  ? 
How  can  any  church  that  would  intimidate  its  ministry 
ever  expect  the  blessing  of  God  ?  Alas  !  how  few  realize 
as  did  Paul,  that  to  be  an  apostle  was  'not  of  men,  neither 
by  man,  but  by  Jesus  Christ.'  '  For  I  neither  received  it 
of  man,  neither  was  I  taught  it,  but  by  revelation  of  Jesus 
Christ.'— Gal.  1. 

"  Yet  there  are  not  a  great  many  real,  free  men  in  the 


VIEWS  ON  VARIOUS  TOPICS.  213 

ministry.  Men  that  dare  keep  an  eye  single  to  the  will 
of  God  and  His  glory.  And  the  church  is  willing  to  have 
it  so.  It  shrinks  from  having  things  '  turned  upside  down,' 
as  must  be  done  when  they  are  wrong  side  up.  Bourda- 
loue  was  a  preacher  to  the  King.  On  one  occasion,  after 
depicting  in  vivid  terms  an  awful  sinner,  he  turned  his 
eyes  full  upon  King  Louis,  and  said  in  thunder  tones, 
'  thou  art  the  man  ! '  The  effect  was  confounding.  When 
he  had  closed,  he  threw  himself  at  the  feet  of  the  Sover- 
eign and  said  :  '  Sire,  behold  at  your  feet  one  who  is  the 
most  devoted  of  your  servants;  but  punish  him  not,  that 
in  the  pulpit  he  can  own  no  master  but  the  King  of  Kings. ' 
Contrast  such  courage  with  the  cowardice  of  men  who 
dare  not  preach  the  word  as  the}^  believe  it,  nor  ask  a 
blessing  at  the  table,  nor  pray  with  their  family,  nor  in 
any  other  way  invade  the  traditional  usages  of  the  church, 
but  who  do  most  of  their  praying  and  preaching  in  the 
barn  among  the  dumb  brutes,  who  will  not  try  them  for 
heresy  nor  accuse  them  of  fanaticism!  But  we  know  just 
such  men  in  this  day  of  grace  !  May  the  Lord  have  mercy 
upon  them,  and  upon  the  ecclesiastical  tyranny  thatcrushes 
their  spiritual  freedom.  It  was  the  same  thing  that  si- 
lenced the  Lord  Jesus  at  Nazareth  in  the  midst  of  His 
wonderful  discourse,  and  '  led  Him  to  the  brow  of  the  hill, 
that  they  might  cast  Him  down  headlong.'  " 

"Dr.  Lyman  Abbott  has  recently  been  nistalled  as 
Pastor  of  Plymouth  church,  Brooklyn.  There  was  a  large 
Council  of  distinguished  ministers  present,  not  only  of  the 
Congregational  Church,  but  of  others.  Notably  the  Rev. 
Phillips  Brooks  and  Dr.  Donald  of  the  Episcopal  church. 
Dr.  Abbott  made  a  formal  statement  of  his  *  belief,'  and 
questions  were  asked,  etc.  He  said  that  he  '  joined  the 
Presbyterian  church  in  New  York,  much  as  I  imagine  a 


214  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

conscientious  Roman  Catholic  is  confirmed,  in  a  vague 
hope  that  in  the  church  I  might  find  rest.'  Two  years 
later  he  took  his  letter  to  Plymouth  church,  and  says  '  no 
man  '  except  only  his  own  father,  has  exerted  so  profound 
an  '  influence  on  my  spiritual  nature, '  as  Mr.  Beecher.  His 
declaration  of  faith  abundantly  confirms  this.  The  state- 
ments of  Dr.  Abbott  on  doctrine  were  very  bold  and  un- 
equivocal and  utterly  at  variance  with  Evaftgelical  truth 
on  all  of  the  vital  doctrines  of  the  Trmity,  bispiration  of 
the  Scriptures,  the  atonemeiit  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  the 
future  state  of  the  wicked.  This  was  so  palpable  that 
Dr.  T.  B.  McLeod,  a  noted  Congregational  minister  and 
member  of  the  Council,  openly  objected  to  such  views, 
and  asked  leave  to  withdraw  from  the  Council,  which  he 
at  once  did.  He  said  :  '  While  I  had  not  expected  Dr. 
Abbott's  views  would  agree  with  mine,  I  was  surprised  to 
find  them  so  far  out  of  harmony  with  the  faith  of  the  fath- 
thers  and  what  I  believed  to  be  the  general  consensus  of 
opinion  in  Congregational  churches.  BecaUvSe  I  believed 
my  vote  for  his  installation  would  have  been  a  practical 
indorsement  of  views  which  I  regard  as  un-Congrega- 
tional,  U7i-eva7igelical  and  un- Scriptural.  I  asked  the  Coun- 
cil to  excuse  me  from  further  participation  in  its  work. ' 
Yet  Friend's  Review  has  constantly  quoted  the  view^s  of 
Lyman  Abbott  and  given  them  to  its  readers  without 
stint.  It  is  only  a  little  while  since  it  endorsed  him  as 
'pious,  learned,  evangelical  in  faith,  enrniently  candid  and 
able  to  see  the  real  iiatitre  of  Christ's  teaching  and  re- 
ligion' And  very  recently  it  has  reproduced  a  portion  of 
one  of  his  essays,  to  prove  The  Lord' s  Supper  nothing 
but  a  Jewish  festival.  Certainly  this  Memorial  can  never 
be  anything  to  a  Unitarian,  and  an  appeal  to  their  argu- 
ments only  proves  the  desperation  of  a  bad  cause." 


VIEWS  ON  VARIOUS  TOPICS.  216 

SECTARIANISM    IN    MISSION    WORK. 

"Surely  it  must  seem  marvelous  to  sober,  thinking 
people  that  in  this  day  of  light  any  body  of  Christians 
could  be  found  so  infatuated  with  its  'distinctive  views '  as 
to  '  compass  sea  and  land  to  make  proselytes! '  It  would 
be  far  more  coyisistent  to  put  upon  our  own  little  children 
the  'distinctive  dress'  of  the  olden  time,  and  compel  it 
to  be  worn. 

"Attention  has  been  widely  called  to  the  'decree  of  In- 
diana Yearly  Meeting  against  the  ordinances'  by  one 
Ellis  Lawrence,  in  the  'Star  and  Crown,'  and  this  is 
rehearsed  in  the  '  Review.'  Said  writer  represents  S.  A. 
Purdie  as  saying  that  '  we  educate  them  out  of  it  (that  is, 
applicants  desiring  to  be  baptized),  and  show  them  the 
folly  of  it.'  '  In  fact,  he  said  he  had  become  conscioitious 
against  them'  (the  ordinances).  For  the  present  we 
waive  exceptions  to  the  inaccuracy  of  this  reported  inter- 
view, for  if  S.  A.  Purdie  can  stand  it,  we  can.  But  the 
writer  has  well  stated  the  precise  end  sought  by  the  '  Indi- 
ana decree.'  This  document  maybe  found  on  page  52 
of  their  minutes.  Let  it  be  read.  Its  appeals  to  the 
'  conscience '  (?)  are  very  direct,  and  not  by  the  round- 
about method  of  argument  and  reason  at  all.  Ministers 
or  elders  who  continue  to  participate  in  or  practice  the 
rites  of  baptism,  or  the  Supper, *are  not  to  be  received  ^s 
Gospel  ministers,  but  they  are  to  be  marked  and  avoided 
as  deceivers  !  That  is  the  sum  total  of  it,  and  men  must 
see  a  principle  very  clearly  before  they  are  ready  to  be 
crucified  outright  for  it.  In  their  infatuation  this  Yearly 
Meeting  is  determined  to  put  a  stop  to  the  Gospel  lib- 
erty hitherto  exercised  by  her  missionaries  in  Mexico. 
Against  this  suicidal  course  we  must  lift  up  our  voice. 


216  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

And,  first,  we  prove  by  Joseph  S.  Sewell,  the  veteran 
Quaker  missionary  of  the  world,  and  now  editor  of  the 
'London  Friend,'  that  such  action  is  without  precedent. 
He  says,  in  *  Friend's  Missionary  Advocate,'  speaking  o^ 
the  work  in  Madagascar,  that  '  in  the  first  place  it  must 
not  be  supposed  that  they,  the  members,  have  been  brought 
to  see  the  doctrines  of  the  New  Testament  according  to 
the  views  of  Friends — 7io  attempt  has  been  made  to  teach 
them  any  distinction  betwee^i  Frie7ids  a7id  other  Christians. 
It  has  not  beeJi  Quakerism  versus  a?iy  other  ''  ism,''  but 
Christianity  versus  heathenism  and  idolatry' 

"What  is  this  but  Christianity  clothed  in  the  garb  of 
good  common  sense  ?  Secondly,  we  prove  that  such  prin- 
ciples, enforced  in  mission  fields,  are  inexpedient,  dan- 
gerous, and  hinder  the  work.  We  quote  some  extracts 
from  a  letter  written  by  Anna  G.  Baker,  a  Friend's  mis- 
sionary in  Hoshangabad,  India  : 

"  *  Our  great  aim  and  object  is  not  to  make  Friends  but 
Christia7is'  etc.  *  Poor  things,  they  have  a  great  deal  to 
learn  and  a  great  deal  to  unlearn.  The  sins  and  failings 
Paul  had  to  war  against  in  the  Early  Christians  are  the 
very  same  we  have  to  deal  with  here  now.  Rom.  1  is  a 
sad  but  true  description  of  India  at  the  present  day,'  etc. 
'  We  require  just  as  decided  a  step  as  baptism  before  ad- 
mitting them  into  membership. '  '  When  they  have  been 
thoroughly  convinced  of  the  truth,  the  7iext  step  is  to 
break  caste'  etc.  *  That  means  to  cut  off  the  tuft  of  hair 
on  top  of  their  head,'  etc.  '  In  other  denominations  break- 
ing caste  and  baptism  go  together.'  '  We  have  had  many 
who  confessed  Christ  and  gave  up  all  idolatrous  worship, 
but  stopped  at  that  point — would  not  break  caste.'  '  We 
can  never  be  sure  of  them  that  they  will  not  relapse  into 
idolatry,'  etc.     'As  regards  other  denominations  we  have 


VIEWS  ON  VARIOUS  TOPICS.  217 

a  difficulty;  in  other  missions  they  do  not  look  upon  our 
Christians  as  Christians  at  all,  because  they  are  not  bap- 
tized, and  if  any  business  takes  them  elsewhere  they  have 
a  good  deal  to  put  up  with.  Sometimes  we  are  tempted 
(?)  to  wish  that  Friends  admitted  the  practice,'  etc.,  'but 
on  the  other  hand,  there  is  danger  of  trusting  to  it,'  etc. 
[Certainly,  and  an  equal  danger  of  trusting  to  this  hair- 
cutting  ceremony. — Ed.]  '  But  for  the  sake  of  unity,  and 
presenting  an  undivided  front  to  the  enemies,  Hinduism 
and  Mahommedanism,  and  that  other  denominations  might 
hold  out  the  right  hand  of  fellowship  to  our  Christians, 
we  sometimes  wish  it  could  be  observed! '  'Another  thing 
that  is  rather  trying  is,  our  people  sometimes  move  and 
settle  in  some  other  parts  of  India  for  business  and  other 
reasons,  when  we  are  told  that  the  missionary  there  bap- 
tizes them,  and,  if  so,  returns  them  as  his  converts.' 

"  This  is  the  testimony  of  a  Friend  who  is  trying  to  be 
loyal  to  the  traditions  of  her  church,  and  argues  for  them 
the  best  she  can.  Yet  again  and  again  she  yields  to  the 
truth  of  every  principle  involved,  and  'sometimes  ivishes' 
baptism  '  could  be  observed'  All  agree  that  '  caste  must  be 
broken,'  and  that  this  thing  is  broken  by  the  rite  of 
Christian  baptism.  But  if  we  can  escape  that,  and  pre- 
serve our  testimony,  shall  we  resort  to  the  rite  of  cutting 
off  the  hairf  What  possible  advantage  can  this  latter  cer- 
einony  have  over  the  former,  save  that  it  shields  our  eccle- 
siastical pride!  Her  pleas  for  uniformity  are  cogent  and 
unanswerable  by  either  reason  or  revelation.  But  we 
further  quote  from  a  letter  of  the  Rev.  James  Alexander, 
a  missionary  in  India  for  twenty  years,  confirming  the 
same  points  already  taken.  He  is  speaking  of  the  'influ- 
ence exerted  by  the  Quaker  mission  in  India  in  the  matter 
of  baptism  and  a  public  profession.  '  In  India  the  divid- 
15 


218  MEMOIR  OF  DA  VID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

ing  line  between  caste  and  a  public  profession  of  Christ  is 
baptism  and  the  breaking  of  bread  at  the  Lord's  Supper. 
A  man  may  read  the  Bible  and  be  regular  at  the  serv- 
ices of  the  church,  and  3^et  remain  a  member  of  his  caste. 
But  the  ordinance  of  baptism  is  the  dividing  line.  Once 
that  is  administered  caste  is  gone,  and  the  man  is  an  out- 
cast for  Christ's  sake.  At  Allahabad  I  have  met  Quaker 
catechists  (natives)  there  on  business.  They  were  very 
outspoken,  and  went  among  the  people  telling  them  to 
believe  on  Christ,  and  that  was  sufficient.  I  have  met 
wath  native  Hindus  in  my  village  and  Bazaar  preaching 
who  w^ere  ready  to  call  us  liars,  because,  said  they,  '  We 
know  that  there  are  Christians  in  Central  India  (where 
the  Quaker  mission  is  located)  w^ho  say  it  is  not  necessary 
to  be  baptized,  and  why  do  you  say  it  is,  and  thus  make 
it  a  most  difficult  thing  for  us  to  profess  Christianity. 
We  believe  in  Christ,  but  caniiot give  up  our  caste!'  Now, 
you  will  at  once  see  that  to  publish  such  a  belief  is  to 
propagate  the  sj'stem  of  caste  in  the  church,  which  any 
sober  man  will  admit  is  contrary  to  the  spirit  of  Chris- 
tianity.' Certainly  'sober  men'  ought  to  admit  it,  but 
some  of  those  '  sober  men,'  who  stay  at  home  and  manip- 
ulate things  in  fields  thousands  of  miles  away,  neither 
know  nor  understand  the  true  principles  of  church  exten- 
sion. There  are  not  a  few  that  never  rise  higher  in  their 
thoughts  than  a  sort  of  ecclesiastical  '  sheep-stealing,' 
both  at  home  and  abroad.  How  often  has  it  been  argued 
that  ours  was  the  very  system  for  the  heathen,  *  because 
it  makes  it  less  difficult  to  profess  Christianity; '  while  if 
that  be  true,  it  is  a  deadly  argument  against  it.  For 
our  own  part,  we  believe  the  'decree'  of  Philadelphia 
Yearly  Meeting  against  the  Women's  Foreign  Missionary 
Association   and  its  work  m  toto,  and  'against  continuing 


VIEWS  ON  VARIOUS  TOPICS.  219^ 

this  movement,''  is  far  more  consistent  ground  and  less  in- 
jurious to  the  cause  of  Christ  and  missions  than  the  '  de- 
cree of  Indiana  Yearly  Meeting.'  For  if  we  are  to  carry 
into  the  presence  of  heathenism,  idolatry,  and  religious 
superstition  a  petty  ecclesiastical  warfare,  we  had  better 
a  thousand  times  stay  away.  But  we  need  not  and  we 
ought  not  to  do  either.  And  men  and  women  that  are 
spiritual  enough  to  be  fit  to  go  as  missionaries  are  fit  to 
be  left  free  to  follow  God  in  their  w^ork  untramelled  by 
'decrees,'  and  ought  to  be  encouraged  so  to  do." 

MINISTRY   OF   WOMEN. 

**  In  our  last  issue,  a  correspondent  said  that  'Paul,  in 
conformity  with  Jewish  custom,  prohibited  women  speak- 
ing or  teaching  in  the  churches. '  We  hardly  thought  it 
necessary  to  make  answer  to  a  fallacy  so  often  and  so 
fully  exposed,  but  it  now  seems  proper  to  do  so.  If  it  is 
true  that  an  inspired  apostle  did  (for  any  reason)  really 
'  prohibit  women  speaking '  in  the  churches,  w^e  hold  that 
he  should  be  obeyed,  and  that  there  is  no  authority  or 
power  in  the  church  anywhere  to  repeal  such  a  prohibi- 
tion. 

"  It  is  a  shameful  thing  for  us  to  ackowledge  a  prohi- 
bition in  the  Word  of  God  which  we  utterly  disregard, 
and  then  use  our  disobedience  as  an  argument  to  justify 
a  contempt  for  other  of  its  plain  commands.  As  the  ar- 
gument stands  it  amounts  to  this:  In  some  things  we  dis- 
obey apostolic  injunctions,  therefore  we  may  do  the  same 
in  other  things !  But  let  us  examine  the  alleged  prohibi- 
tion of  the  apostle  as  found  in  I.  Cor.  17:  34,  35 — 'Let 
your  w^omen  keep  silence  in  the  churches;  for  it  is  not 
permitted  unto  them  to  speak;  but  let  them  be  in  sub- 
jection, as  also  saith  the  law.     And  if  they  would  learn 


220  MEMOIR  OF  DA  VID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

anything,  let  them  ask  their  husbands  at  home,  for  it  is 
a  shame  for  a  woman  to  speak  in  the  church.'  This  is 
the  stronghold  and  proof-text  of  the  opponents  of  female 
ministry.  Now  if  Paul  refers  in  this  Scripture  to  the 
same  kind  of  '  speaking  '  that  he  does  in  the  fifth  verse  of 
the  eleventh  chapter,  then  he  most  undoubtedly  cofitra- 
dids  himself.     But  that  is  impossible. 

"We  must,  therefore,  harmonize  these  passages,  and 
not  do  the  absurd  thing  of  insisting  that  on  one  page 
Paul  has  given  the  most  explicit  instructions  as  to  how  a 
thing  shall  be  done,  and  on  the  next  page  of  the  same 
letter,  to  the  same  church,  expressly  forbidden  that  it 
should  be  done  at  all !  And  this  harmony  can  be  seen 
without  the  least  perversion  or  straining  of  Scripture  the 
moment  we  understand  that  the  apostle  is  speaking  of 
two  different  things,  and  does  not  prohibit  in  the  one  case 
what  he  has  at  least,  by  the  clearest  implication,  enjoined 
in  the  other.  Let  us  examine  then,  in  the  first  place, 
the  true  intent  and  nature  of  the  '  silence '  which  is  im- 
posed in  chapter  14:  34.  This  must  be  explained  by  the 
meaning  of  the  phrase  '  not  to  speak.'  Now  it  is  impor- 
tant to  remember  that  this  verb  is  used  a  multitude  of 
times  in  the  New  Testament,  and  with  a  great  variety  of 
meanings  besides  the  general  one,  of  expressing  thoughts, 
by  words. 

"  In  some  passages,  such  a  meaning  as  '  to  chatter'  '  to 
babble,'  etc.,  is  made  clear  when  taken  in  connection  with 
the  context,  which  shows  where  the  sense  really  lies. 
Such  is  the  case  in  the  passage  before  us.  It  is  evident 
that  its  prohibition  does  not  imply  a  silence  that  is  abso- 
lute, or  refraining  from  all  speech,  but  only  that  which  is 
improper^  or  inconsistent  with  a  right  '  obedience'  such  as 
questionings  and  disputations  that  would  bring  women 


VIEWS  ON  VARIOUS  TOPICS.  221 

into  public  collision  and  controversy  with  men,  and  give 
rise  to  an  '  unamiable  volubility  of  speech.'  '  This  kind 
of  speaking,  and  this  alone,  as  it  appears  to  me,  was  for- 
bidden by  the  apostle  in  the  passage  before  us, 

"  *  This  kind  of  speaking  was  the  only  supposable  an- 
tagonist to  and  violation  of  obedience.  My  studies  in  Bib- 
lical criticism,  etc.,  have  not  informed  me  that  a  woman 
must  cease  to  speak  before  she  can  obey;  and  I  am,  there- 
fore, led  to  the  irresistible  conclusion  that  it  is  not  all 
speaking  in  the  church  which  the  apostle  forbids  and 
which  he  pronounces  to  be  shameful;  but  on  the  con- 
trary, Q.  pertinacious ,  inquisitive,  domineering,  dogmatical 
kind  of  speaking,  which,  while  it  is  unbecoming  in  a 
via7i,  is  shameful  and  odious  in  a  woniaji,  and  especially 
when  that  woman  is  in  the  church,  and  is  speaking  on 
the  deep  things  of  religion.' — Robin so7i's  Lexicon. 

*'  Not  only  so,  another  eminent  Greek  scholar  (Park- 
hurst)  ,  tells  us  that  the  Greek  word  here  used  '  is  applied 
to  one  who  lets  his  tongue  run,  but  does  not  speak  to  tlie 
purpose,  and  says  nothing,'  and  that  lalein  is  w^/the  word 
used  in  Greek  to  signify  to  speak  with  premeditation  and 
prudence,  but  is  the  word  used  to  signify  to  speak  im- 
prudently and  without  cojisideration.  This,  then,  is  the 
character  of  speech  that  Paul  *  prohibits '  in  women  in 
this  one  passage,  while  there  are  a  multitude  of  injunc- 
tions virtually  enjoining  the  same  thing  upon  7ne7i.  Let 
us  all  obey.  Once  more,  a  text  often  cited  as  referring 
to  the  public  exercises  of  women  in  the  church  is  I.  Tim- 
2  :  11,  12  :  'Let  the  women  learn  in  silence  with  all  sub- 
jection. But  I  suffer  not  a  woman  to  teach  nor  to  usurp 
authority  over  the  man,  but  to  be  in  silence.' 

' '  Taken  in  connection  with  the  context  it  is  certainly 
plain  enough  that  this  passage  has  no  bearing  whatever 


222  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

upon  Christian  women  living  in  the  fear  of  God  and  ex- 
ercising their  spiritual  gifts  in  public.  But  it  does  refer 
to  the  private  life,  the  domestic  character,  the  apparel,  the 
adornments,  the  spirit,  and  the  conduct  of  a  woman  at 
home,  and  especially  respecting  her  relation  to  her  Chris- 
tian husband.  It  is  true  that  she  is  not  *  to  usurp  au- 
thority over  the  man,'  and  this  prohibition  stands  con- 
nected with  the  '  teaching '  that  is  forbidden.  The  two 
must  go  together,  and  this  fixes  the  meaning  and  extent 
of  the  prohibition;  and  if  so,  there  is  a  great  deal  of  '  teach- 
ing '  that  is  not  forbidden,  since  it  does  not  *  nsiirp  author- 
ity.' 

' '  Of  this  sort  is  that  *  teaching  '  in  the  church  of  God 
which  is  by  women  anointed  and  led  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
and  who  thus  have  *  authority  '  that  is  God-given  without 
any  '  nsnrpation  '  whatever.  So  also  is  the  teaching  of 
her  children,  her  servants,  or  her  neighbors.  No  one 
claims  that  these  are  forbidden,  and  yet  it  is  just  as  easy 
to  establish  that  Paul  referred  to  such  teaching  as  that  he 
prohibited  the  public  ministry  of  women.  But  all  diffi- 
culties are  removed  if  we  understand  the  apostolic  inhi- 
bition as  referring  only  to  such  '  teaching,'  whether  at 
home  or  in  public,  as  *  tisiirps  authority,'  and  is  not  in 
'  all  subjection,'  but  is  domineering,  vociferous  or  dictato- 
rial, and  incompatible  with  that  *  meek  and  quiet  spirit ' 
which  is  woman's  highest  adornment,  and  with  a  true 
Christian  submission  one  to  another. 

"And  as  a  practical  fact,  who  is  there  that  will  claim 
that  these  requirements  are  at  all  violated  by  the  noble 
women  of  the  present  day  that  are  engaged  in  evangelis- 
tic and  ministerial  labors?  To  assert,  then,  that  *  Paul 
prohibited  women  speaking  or  teaching  in  the  churches, ' 
is  to  propagate  a  delusion  and  a  misrepresentation  of  script- 


VIEWS  ON  VARIOUS  TOPICS.  223 

ure  that  has  robbed  the  church  for  centuries,  because  it 
has  sealed  the  Hps  of  women  when  God  has  sought  to 
open  them  in  the  loving  ministrations  of  His  house. 

"  But  we  do  more  than  claim  Paul's  exemption  from 
the  charge  of  forbidding  the  public  ministry  of  women. 
We  go  farther  and  adduce  I.  Cor.  11  :  1-15,  as  positive 
evidence  of  his  recognition  and  approval  of  such  ministry. 
If  we  do  not  violate  all  common  sense  interpretation  of 
scripture,  we  are  compelled  to  understand  Paul  as  recog- 
nizing both  the/tzr/  and  the  right  of  Christian  women  to 
'  pray,'  and  to  '  prophesy  '  in  the  church.  He  kindly  and 
clearly  gives  some  directions  concerning  the  proprieties 
of  appearance,  and  the  mode  of  performing  these  duties; 
and  he  explains  the  necessity  of  this  in  the  nature  of 
God's  laws  and  the  condition  of  society. 

* '  He  exercises  this  care  in  order  that  no  unnecessary 
reproach  might  fall  upon  the  women  because  of  laying 
aside  the  customary  head  dress,  which  always  indicated 
modesty.  It  was  an  imperative  custom  that  chaste  women 
should  not  be  seen  abroad  without  their  veils,  while  it  was 
a  fact  that  public  prostitutes  did  go  without  them.  'And 
if  a  w^oman  should  appear  in  public  without  a  veil,  she 
would  dishonor  her  head — her  husbayid.  And  she  would 
appear  like  to  those  women  who  have  their  hair  shaven 
off  as  a  punishment  for  adultery.'  (Dr.  Clarke.)  So  much 
for  the  diffitdties  existing  in  the  minds  of  some  concerning 
this  passage.  But  it  is  plain  that  the  *  praying  and  proph- 
esying,' referred  to  by  the  Apostle,  is  for  the  '  edification, 
exhortation  and  comfort  of  believers, '  and  of  precisely  the 
same  character  in  the  case  of  women  as  of  men;  and  this 
is  identical  with  the  '  prophesying '  of  which  Joel  spoke 
when  he  said,  '-Your  sons  and  your  daughters  shall 
prophesy. ' 


224  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

"  When  God  says  '  shall,'  who  then  shall  say  nay? 
And  if  the  gifts  had  not  been  bestowed  upon  the  women, 
neither  Peter  nor  Paul  would  have  had  occasion  to  make 
room  for  their  exercise.  But  the  day  of  Pentecost  settled 
all  questions  of  perplexity  or  prejudice  on  this  matter,  and 
the  whole  course  of  the  present  dispensation  has  confirmed 
the  truth  that  in  *  Christ  Jesus  there  is  neither  bond  nor 
free,  male  nor  female,  but  ye  are  all  one  in  Christ  Jesus.' 
The  Spirit  was  then  given  to  male  and  female  alike,  and 
Peter  speaks  of  this  as  a  special  characteristic  of  the  '  last 
days; '  and  the  writings  of  Paul  abound  in  recognitions  of 
'  those  women  which  labored  with  vie  in  the  gospel,  with 
Clement  also,  and  other  of  my  fellow-laborers.' 

"  In  tenderest  language  he  charges  that  the  '  beloved 
Persis,'  Tryphena,  and  Tryphosa,  and  others,  be  'sa- 
luted,' and  'greeted,'  and  'helped.'  As  for  '  Phebe,  a 
deaconess  (or  preacher)  of  the  church  at  Cenchrea,'  Paul 
gives  her,  as  it  were,  a  carte  blanche  to  the  church  at  Rome, 
both  in  respect  to  their  love  and  their  resources.  'Assist 
her  in  whatever  business  she  hath  need  of  you,'  says  the 
Apostle.  Surely  further  proof  is  needless  that  Paul,  and 
the  whole  Bible,  for  that  matter,  unmistakably  and  con- 
stantly teaches  not  o\\\y  the  right  but  the  duty  of  women 
to  prophesy,  to  teach,  and  to  preach  Jesus  to  the  people, 
in  the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  May  this  be  more  than 
ever  the  day  that  David  saw,  when  he  said,  '  The  Lord 
gave  the  word ,  and  great  was  the  company  of  womeyi  pub- 
lishers.' For  our  own  part,  we  have  never  been  im- 
pressed, as  many  seem  to  be,  with  the  danger  of  becoming 
unfenmiine  on  account  of  gospel  work.  Our  observation 
has  been  that  as  a  rule,  the  women  who  labor  in  the  gos- 
pel are  of  distinguished  modesty,  gentleness  and  purit}^  of 
life,  as  well  as  yielding  a  right  submission  to  the  brethren. 


VIEWS  ON  VARIOUS  TOPICS.  225 

"  In  all  of  these  respects  our  sainted  and  queenly  mother 
was  to  us  as  a  model,  and  there  was  stamped  upon  our 
youthful  mind  the  loftiest  ideal  of  feminine  grace  and  ex- 
cellence, along  with  ministerial  gifts  of  the  highest  order. 
For  about  fifty  years  Rebecca  T.  Updegraff  preached  the 
gospel  of  Jesus  Christ,  both  at  home  and  abroad,  as  con- 
strained by  the  Holy  Ghost.  We  never  knew  her  to  open 
her  mouth,  either  in  prayer  or  in  ministry,  without  evi- 
dence that  the  Spirit  accompanied  her  words,  and  many 
seals  to  her  labors  remain  to  this  day,  although  the  scene 
of  her  toils  and  conflicts  was  in  the  midst  of  ecclesiastical 
turmoil  and  great  spiritual  barrenness  in  the  church.  But 
the  tender  and  w^omanl}^  instincts  of  her  nature  seemed  to 
be  exalted  rather  than  otherwise  through  the  claims  of 
her  spiritual  calling.  Her  private  life  was  adorned  by 
domestic  and  motherly  virtues.  Self-sacrifice  for  the  good 
of  others  was  the  key-note  of  a  life  devoted  to  the  holiest 
ministries  of  love  and  the  glory  of  God. 

"  Whenever  we  hear  an  imputation  concerning  the  min- 
istry of  women,  we  instantly  recall  the  memories  and 
sweetness  of  our  mother's  life,  and,  in  this  instance,  have 
yielded  to  the  impulse  to  thus  open  an  inner  sanctuary  to 
our  readers.  We  are  sure  they  will  forgive  us.  The 
daughters  of  the  Lord,  upon  whom  He  has  poured  out 
the  spirit  of  prophesy,  both  in  the  present  and  in  past 
days,  have  done  their  full  share  in  extending  the  King- 
dom of  Christ.  They  are  doing  it  yet,  and  their  zealous 
labors  for  souls  are  abundantly  owned  of  God.  We  re- 
member with  gratitude  the  names  of  a  host  of  such,  who 
have  gone  to  their  reward;  and  we  would  like  to  record 
the  names  of  another  multitude  of  holy  women  who  are 
in  the  field  and  at  the  front  to-day,  with  a  Divine  com- 
mission to  rescue  the  perishing   and  edify  the  church. 


226  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

Many  of  them  we  enjoy  the  privilege  of  knowing  per- 
sonally and  in  gospel  fellowship.  We  are  glad  to  testify 
that  almost  without  exception  the  talents,  piety  and  power 
of  these  elect  ladies  challenge  our  sympathy  and  admira- 
tion. We  want  to  cheer  them  on  and  encourage  every 
heart.  Would  to  God  all  the  Lord's  people  were  such  as 
are  these  prophetesses  !  " 

WHAT   DOKS    IT    MEAN   TO    BE    "SAVED?" 

**  'Saved'  is  a  word  that  may  be  used  and  properly  ap- 
plied in  a  great  variety  of  cases,  when  accompanied  with 
a  qualifying  clause  that  makes  our  meaning  clear.  As 
'saved'  from  drowning,  'saved'  from  bankruptc}^,  'saved' 
from  the  fire.  But  when  a  preacher  in  his  pulpit  talks 
of  *  saving  men,'  he  is  to  be  understood  as  speaking  of 
the  salvation  of  their  souls.  It  is,  however,  somewhat 
amazing  to  witness  the  flippancy  and  ignorance  with 
which  this  sacred  term  is  often  applied  to  a  most  thor- 
oughly human  and  superficial  work.  Let  us  take  a  few 
examples:  A  minister  draws  a  word-picture  of  '  a  j^oung 
man  that  has  got  into  bad  company  and  offended  the  law 
and  is  arraigned.  His  father  is  dead,  mother  is  dead,  and 
he  has  no  counsel.  But  the  District  Attorney  takes  him 
into  his  office  and  says,  "  My  son,  I  see  that  you  are  the 
victim  of  circumstances.  This  is  your  first  crime.  You 
are  sorry.  You  will  apologize  to  the  first  man  you  have 
wronged,  and  make  all  the  reparation  you  can,  and  I  will 
give  you  another  chance.  It  would  make  his  dying  pil- 
low sweeter  to  have  the  consciousness  that  he  had  saved 
a  man.''  Again,  a  young  merchant  is  assisted  out  of  a 
commercial  disaster  b}^  a  benevolent  man  of  means,  and 
after  a  few  years  of  financial  prosperity  in  a  splendid 
business  he  goes  back  to  his  old  benefactor  and  says,  '  I 


V/EIVS  ON  VARIOUS  TOPICS.  227 

ought  to  let  you  know  that  you  ''saved  a  many  '  And  the 
angels  are  represented  as  welcoming  the  old  man  into 
heaven — that  saved  a  ma7i .  Once  more:  A  poor  woman 
in  search  of  employment,  and  after  repeated  rebuffs,  is 
spoken  to  kindly  and  encouragingly  by  a  good  man. 
Hope  and  confidence  spring  up  so  manifestly  that  that 
gentleman  is  taught  to  believe  that  he  saved  a  woman. 
And  this  is  the  kind  of  salvatio7i  that  is  being  preached 
to  thousands  every  Sabbath.  These  outlines  are  filled  in 
with  the  pathetic  details  of  every-day  life,  until  human 
sympathies  are  all  aglow,  and  such  philanthropy  is  made 
to  outshine  the  sufferings  and  death  of  Jesus,  and  a 
benevolent  succor  from  temporal  distress  is  made  far 
more  attractive  than  God's  salvation  for  the  soul.  For 
this  involves  the  pungency  of  conviction,  true  repentance 
and  godly  sorrow  for  sin,  and  its  renunciation,  whereas 
the  other  involves  nothing  of  the  sort,  but  is  a  kind  of 
*  salvation '  (?)  that  is  compatible  with  a  growth  in  pride, 
a  life  of  rebellion  against  God,  and  a  bed  in  hell.  We  can 
but  cry  aloud  against  such  a  travesty  of  preaching,  and 
trifling  with  the  word  of  God,  as  many  *  great  preachers* 
seem  driven  to,  in  order  to  maintain  their  hold  on  the 
crowd  whose  chief  concern  is  for  ectertainment." 

THE    BIBLE. 

"  Biblical  study,  from  various  stand-points,  is  the  ab- 
sorbing theme  of  our  day.  There  never  was  a  time 
when  the  Bible  was  studied  by  so  many  devout  believers; 
or  by  so  many  philosophical  rationalists;  or  scientific  ag- 
nostics; or  scofiBng  infidels;  or  accomplished  scholars,  and 
literary  men.  It  is  simply  phenomenal.  What  does  it 
all  mean .?  It  is  plain  that  the  old  time  controversies  of 
a  sectarian  character  have  no  place  in  this  age.     But  '  now- 


228  MEMOIR  OF  DA  VID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

adays  men  are  examining  all  the  wings  and  legs  of  every 
living  thing,  and  questioni7ig  everything  '  as  Prof.  Harris 
has  truly  said.  To  this  wide-spread  infidel  spirit,  we 
suppose  he  alludes  when  he  speaks  of  *  the  mevitable 
movement  of  our  time.'  Dr.  Briggs  says  that  the  Higher 
Criticism  is  '  the  most  inviting  afid  fruitful  field  of  study 
in  our  day.'  Many  are  asking,  'What  is  meant  by  the 
phrase  .Higher  Criticism  ?  '  It  is  generally  understood 
to  apply  to  a  method  of  investigating  the  Bible  just  the 
same  as  any  other  book.  That  is,  it  takes  nothing  for 
granted.  It  ignores  the  testimony  of  the  Bible  concern- 
ing itself.  Its  claims  of  inspiration,  authenticity,  and  in- 
fallibility are  allowed  only  so  far  as  established  by  the 
scientific,  linguistic,  and  historical  scholarship  of  men, 
mainly  destitute  of  any  spiritual  intuitions  whatever.  Its 
first  effect,  therefore,  is  to  disparage  and  discredit  the 
Bible,  in  the  eyes  of  every  one  who  yields  respect  to  those 
w^ho  put  its  character  on  trial.  The  conunon  people  of 
Christendom  regard  the  Bible  as  the  Word  of  God,  writ- 
ten b}^  holy  men  of  old  as  they  were  moved  by  the  Holy 
Ghost,  and  rightfully  resent  any  assumption  of  a  possi- 
ble mistake  about  its  plenary  and  verbal  inspiration.  But 
this  is  sneered  at  as  '  blind  bibliolatry,'  by  a  host  of  men, 
some  of  whom  are  not  higher  critics,  but  who  wish  to  be 
understood  as  scholars. 

"  These  modern  philanthropists  set  themselves  about 
the  work  of  rescuing  Protestantism  from  its  *  well-known 
vice  of  bibliolatry ! '  They  are  generally  Rationalists, 
who  have  no  personal  God  and  no  use  for  any  revelatioji 
from  Him  whatever,  and  scoff  at  the  Bible  as  His  word. 
And  3^et  the3^  want  to  get  on  a  jur}^  to  whom  this  sacred 
volume  is  to  be  handed  over  for  trial  by  their  tests  of 
'science,  falsely  so  called.'     They  propose  to  reconcile 


VIEWS  ON  VARIOUS  TOPICS.  229 

the  teachings  of  the  Bible,  the  church,  and  the  reason,  and 
make  them  of  coordinate  authority.  '  There  are  three 
theories  of  inspiration;  the  verbal,  the  plenary,  and  the 
dynamic'  (?)  The  first  is  ridiculed  because  it  makes 
the  sacred  writers  *  mere  clerks  of  the  Holy  Ghost ! '  '  The 
last  two  are  reasonable ! '  But  not  all  of  the  Higher 
Critics  are  rationalists.  There  are  a  number  of  what  are 
called  evangelical  scholars,  that,  in  the  absence  of  any- 
thing better  to  do,  are  accepting  the  challenge  to  enter 
this  '  inviting  field  of  study.'  They  '  yield  '  to  no  one  in 
reverence  for  the  Bible.  And  yet  they  say  *  every  word, 
every  syllable,  every  letter  receives  reverent  and  careful 
handling  !  '  They  hold  the  Bible  as  '  an  infallible  rule  of 
faith  and  duty,'  and  yet,  some  of  its  historical  books 
*  may  be  untrustworthy  as  history !  '  And  this  sort  of 
rhetorical  jugglery  is  getting  to  be  very  common.  They 
say  that  ratiojialisis  are  '  using  this  higher  criticism  with 
disastrous  effect  and  the  church  is  challenged  to  meet  the 
issue.'  They  are  big  with  expectations  of  'conquering 
by  a  more  profound  and  critical  interpretation,'  etc. 
That  *  Providence  is  calling  the  church  to  this  conflict,' 
and  many  other  things  that  sound  very  plausible.  But 
we  do  not  believe  one  word  of  it.  Jesus  Christ  has  better 
business  for  every  one  of  His  real  followers,  than  to  de- 
bate with  an  infidel  crew  that  denies  His  very  existence, 
and  that  of  His  word.  It  can  never  result  in  '  conquer- 
ing '  them,  and  is  fraught  with  peril  to  the  vain  cham- 
pion who  must  fight  such  a  battle  at  his  own  charge.  No 
man  shall  ever  *  kyiow  of  the  doctrijie '  except  on  the  un- 
changeable terms  of  our  Lord,  viz. ,  consenting  to  '  do 
His  will'  All  the  learning,  argument,  and  critical  acu- 
men of  scholars,  can  never  win  the  battle  against  the 
moral  repugnance  of  the  carnal  mind  to  follow  where  the 


230  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

truth  leads.  This  can  only  be  accomplished  by  the  Om- 
nipotent Holy  Ghost,  who  uses  '  the  Word  of  God '  as  His 
weapon,  in  the  mouths  of  witnesses,  not  gladiators.  A 
scholar  only  filled  with  '  Greek '  is  as  powerless  in  such  a 
conflict,  as  one  filled  w^ith  husks.  It  is  simply  '  Greek 
meeting  Greek.'  It  is  the  old  story  of  'Saul's  armor.' 
All  of  God' s  battles  are  conflicts  oi  faith,  and  can  never 
be  won  with  the  weapons  of  the  world.  '  Our  weapons 
are  not  cariial.  *  The  great  mistake  is  in  supposing  that 
we  are  called  to  defejid  the  BibleJ  God  will  attend  to 
that.  He  has  not  asked  us  to  be  either  advocates  or  apol- 
ogists, but  His  'witnesses.^  A  joyful,  experimental  Chris- 
tian is  the  best  evidence  in  the  world,  that  the  Bible  is 
all  that  it  claims  to  be.  One  such  '  witness,'  however  ig- 
norant he  may  be,  is  worth  more  to  silence  the  batteries 
of  the  'Higher  Criticism,'  than  a  whole  platoon  of  schol- 
ars that  believe  that  the  Bible  contains  the  truth,  but  have 
not  believed  the  truth  that  the  Bible  contains.  As  for  the 
Bible  itself,  we  have  no  concern.  It  is  not  one  book 
among  many;  it  is  The  Book,  God's  own  book,  and  it  will 
stand  as  impregnable  as  Gibraltar,  as  it  always  has  stood 
against  the  fires  of  criticism,  the  assaults  of  infidels,  and 
the  malice  of  devils.  But  our  anxiety  is  for  those  who 
are  being  caught  with  the  prevalent  delusion,  concerning 
the  necessity  of  a  critical '  systematic  study  of  the  Bible 
in  order  to  be  prepared  for  its  defence. ' 

"1.  Admitting  the  position  to  be  correct,  its  defenders 
must  then  of  necessity  be  too  small  a  number  to  count 
for  much. 

"2.  But  the  Bible  needs  no  defense,  and  asks  none  at 
our  hands.  Peter  thought  that  the  Lord  needed  his  puny 
arm  for  *  defense,'  instead  of  which  Jesus  was  defending 
him.     '  Let  these  go  their  way.' 


VIEWS  ON  VARIOUS  TOPICS.  231 

"3.  If  in  some  legitimate  sense  '  the  faith  '  is  to  be  de- 
fended, the  soldier  that  is  successful  must  fall  in  with  the 
divine  method  of  warfare,  and  use  the  weapons  of  faith 
only.     And  Greek  roots  are  not  in  the  catalogue  ! 

*  '4,  The  Bible  is  to  be  as  food  for  our  spirits,  and  not 
for  our  curiosity.  Its  material  is  for  our  '  instruction  in 
righteousness,'  and  not  for  the  display  of  hair-splitting 
acumen,  or  linguistic   scholarship. 

"  It  is  therefore  a  matter  of  painful  concern  that  the 
flower  of  our  youth,  and  the  church  at  large,  should  be 
so  constantly  taught  to  look  in  the  wrong  direction,  for 
a  preparation  to  *  meet  the  inevitable  movement  of  our 
time.'  To  tell  them  to  'hunger  and  thirst  after  Greek,' 
is  as  deceptive  as  to  direct  them  to  seek  the  North  star 
by  gazing  into  the  Southern  heavens.  To  be  '  filled 
with  righteousness,'  is  a  prescription  that  will  come  short 
in  no  emergency.  But  provide  professorships  at  Haver- 
ford,  Bryn  Mawr,  Penn  College,  or  elsewhere  for  a  *CRIT- 
ICAI^'  study  of  the  Bible,  on  the  suggested  model  of  Prof. 
Harper,  of  Yale,  and  they  are  dangerously  liable  to  fol- 
low in  the  steps  of  his  subtle  infidelity,  and  to  raise  more 
questions  than  will  ever  be  answered.  We  are  utterly 
opposed  to  the  assumption  that  this  kind  of  thing  is  at 
all  needed,  in  order  that  the  devout  student  of  the  Bible 
may  understand  what  God  has  really  spoken.  We  be- 
lieve that  its  general  tendency  is  to  obscure  spiritual 
truth,  instead  of  to  unfold  it.  We  subscribe  to  the  fol- 
lowing confession  of  Daniel  Webster :  '  I  believe  that  the 
Bible  is  to  be  understood  and  received  in  the  plain  and  ob- 
vious meaning  of  its  passages,  since  I  cannot  persuade 
myself  that  a  book  intended  for  the  instruction  and  con- 
version of  the  whole  world  should  cover  its  true  meaning 
in  such  mystery  and  doubt  that  7ioyie  but  critics  and  phi- 


232  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

losophers  can  discover  it.  I  believe  that  the  experiments 
and  subtleties  of  himian  wisdom  are  more  likely  to  obscure 
than  to  enlighten  the  revealed  will  of  God,  and  that  he  is 
the  most  accomplished  Christian  scholar,  who  hath  been 
educated  at  the  feet  of  Jesus,  and  in  the  College  of  Fisher- 
men ! '  And  also  to  this  from  Martin  Luther's  reply  to 
a  question  by  Spalatin  : 

"*It  is  very  certain  that  we  cannot  attain  to  the  under- 
standing of  Scripture,  by  study  or  by  the  intellect.  Your 
first  duty  is  to  begin  by  prayer.  Entreat  the  Lord  to 
grant  you,  of  His  great  merc3^  the  true  understanding  of 
His  word.  There  is  no  other  interpreter  of  the  word  of 
God,  than  the  Author  of  His  word,  as  He  Himself  has 
said.  They  shall  be  all  taught  of  God.  Hope  for  noth- 
ing from  your  own  labors,  from  your  own  understanding. 
Trust  solely  in  God  and  in  the  influence  of  His  Spirit.'" 


CHAPTER  XXI. 


THE    PAROUSIA. 


"Abide  in  Him  ;  that,  when  He  shall  appear,  ye  may  have  con- 
fidence, and  not  be  ashamed  before  Him  at  His  coming."  - 
I.  John  2  :  2S. 

THE  effort  to  make  people  believe  that  the  promised 
paroiisia  (coming)  of  the  Lord  took  place  at  the 
"  destruction  of  Jerusalem,"  tends  to  mislead  souls,  blot 
out  the  Christian's  hope,  and  destroy  the  value  of  Script- 
ure as  a  definite  testimou}^  to  anything.  With  a  little 
critical  help  from  Young's  '*  Concordance"  we  shall  try 
to  establish  the  following  four  points : 

First.  That  the  promised  paj'ousia  (coming)  of  our 
Lord  did  not  take  place  "in,"  "at,"  or  "  after  "  the  cap- 
ture of  Jerusalem  by  Titus,  as  is  often  asserted. 

Second.  That  the  spiritual  coming  promised  in  our 
Lord's  discourses  recorded  in  John  13 :  16,  did  find  ful- 
fillment on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  when  "they  were  all 
filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost." 

Third.  That  this  w^as  not  the  parousia,  and  that  pa- 
7'ousia  is  always  used  to  denote  a  personal  and  bodily 
"  presence,"  and  never  that  which  is  only  spiritual. 

Fourth.  That  His  paroiisia  is  unquestionably  pre- 
sented as  a  future  and  not  as  a  past  event. 

1.   In  Matt.   24,  among  other  questions,  the  disciples 

16  ^  '233; 


284         MEMOIR  OF  DA  VID  B.  UPDECRAFF, 

asked  Jesus  this  one:  "What  shall  be  the  sign  of  thy 
parousia  ?  "  To  which  our  Lord  gave  a  most  explicit 
answer.  He  says  it  shall  be  like  "the  lightning  coming 
out  of  the  east  and  shining  even  unto  the  west."  Here 
suddenness,  omnipotence,  and  fearful  visibility  are  set 
forth.  He  says:  "The  sun  shall  be  darkened,  and  the 
moon  shall  not  give  her  light,  and  the  stars  shall  fall 
from  heaven,"  that  "all  the  tribes  of  the  earth  shall 
mourn,  and  they  shall  see  the  Son  of  man  coming  in  the 
clouds  of  heaven  with  power  and  great  glory."  "And  he 
shall  send  his  angels  with  a  great  sound  of  a  trumpet, 
and  they  shall  gather  together  his  elect  from  the  four 
winds,  from  one  end  of  heaven  to  the  other."  "As  the 
days  of  Noe  were,  so  shall  also  the  parousia  of  the  Son 
of  man  be."  And  three  times  in  the  course  of  this  mi- 
nute description  does  He  declare,  "  So  shall  the  parousia 
of  the  Son  of  man  be."  Now,  how  many  of  these  things 
took  place  "  at  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem?  "  Was  the 
sun  blotted  out?  Did  the  stars  fall?  Did  all  the  tribes 
mourn,  when  only  two  tribes  were  in  the  land?  Did  they 
see  the  Son  of  man  in  the  clouds  of  heaven  or  hear  His 
angel's  trumpet?  Were  the  elect  gathered  from  the  four 
winds?  Or  are  all  of  these  things  to  be  spiritualized 
away? 

When  our  Lord  says,  in  John  14 :  13,  "I  will  not  leave 
you  comfortless :  I  will  come  to  you,"  He  does  not  speak 
of  mis  parousia,  or  bodily  coming,  but  uses  ercho?nai,  "to 
come,"  and  speaks  simply  of  His  presence  and  coming 
without  any  qualification.  The  .same  is  true  of  the 
twenty-third  verse,  "And  we  will  come  unto  him  and 
make  our  abode  with  him."  Of  the  twenty-eighth  verse, 
"  I  go  away  and  come  again  unto  3'ou."  Of  chapter 
15:   26,    "  When   the   Comforter  is  come,  whom    I  will 


THE  PAROUSIA,  ^35 

send."  Of  16:  18,  "When  He  is  come  He  will  reprove 
the  world."  Of  21:  22,  "  If  I  will  that  He  tarry  till  I 
come,"  etc.  Now,  it  does  no  violence  to  Scripture  lan- 
guage to  construe  these  promises  as  being  fulfilled  by 
His  spiritual  coming  and  presence  in  the  church  at  Pen- 
tecost, and  as  still  standing  good  for  a  personal  Pentecost 
to  any  man  who  loves  Jesus' and  "  will  keep  His  words." 

3.  But  when  the  word  parousia  is  used,  it  does  not  de- 
note a  coming  that  is  spiritual  only,  but  is  always  used  to 
denote  a  bodily  and  personal  "presence."  A  few  exam- 
ples will  suffice.  "  I  am  glad  of  the  parousia  of  Ste- 
phanus  "  (I.  Cor.  IG :  17).  "God  comforted  us  by  the 
parousia  of  Titus  "  (II.  Cor.  7:6).  "By  my  parousia  to 
you  again"  (Phil.  1:  16).  "Not  as  in  my  parousia  only" 
(Phil.  2:  12).  We  select  these  quotations  because  it  is 
impossible  that  the  pa^'ousia  of  Stephanus,  or  Titus,  or 
Paul  can  be  otherwise  than  a  bodily  and  personal  ' '  pres- 
ence," and  it  therefore  must  have  the  same  force  and 
meaning  when  used  in  reference  to  the  Lord  Jesus  by  the 
discriminating  pen  of  inspiration, 

4.  Finally,  how  is  it  possible  that  either  Pentecost  or 
"*the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  "  could  have  been  the  pa- 
rousia, wdien  it  is  invariably  presented  in  Scripture  as  a 
still  future  thing  ?  ' '  Christ  the  first  fruits ;  afterward 
they  that  are  Christ's  at  His  parousia''  (I.  Cor.  15:  23). 
"Are  not  even  ye  in  the  presence  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  at  His  parousia  ?''  (I.  Thess.  2  :  19).  "The  pa- 
rousia of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  with  all  his  saints" 
(I.  Thess.  3:  13).  "We  which  are  alive  and  remain 
unto  X\iQ  parousia  of  the  Lord  "  (I.  Thes.  4  :  13).  "Your 
whole  spirit  and  soul  and  body  be  preserved  blameless 
unto  the  parousia  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ "  (I.  Thess. 
5  :  23).    "Whom  the  Lord  shall  (future)  destroy  with  the 


236  MEMOIR  OF  DA  VID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

epiphaneia  (manifestation)  oi  1^\^  paro2isia''  (II.  Thess. 
2:8).  *'  There  shall  come  in  the  last  days  scoffers,  say- 
ing, Where  is  the  promise  of  l^\s parousiaf  (II.  Peter 
3.  4).  "Abide  in  Him;  that  when  He  shall  appear,  we 
may  have  confidence,  and  not  be  ashamed  before  Him  at 
His  parojcsia "  (I.  John  2 :  28).  In  the  light  of  such 
Scriptures  how  can  anyone,  who  reall}^  regards  its  plain 
letter,  believe  that  our  Lord's  coming  has  already  oc- 
curred, or  that  parousia  signifies  only  a  spiritual  pres- 
ence? But  some  seek  to  avoid  the  force  of  John's 
remarkable  passages  in  Revelation,  which  declare  the 
parousia  to  be  a  "  future  event,"  by  assigning  a  date  for 
the  Apocalypse  prior  to  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  or 
about  A.  D.  70.  Granting  this  for  a  moment,  we  are 
still  confronted  with  John's  testimony  in  his  "  First  Epis- 
tle, A.  D.  108"  (chapter  2:  28):  "Abide  in  Him;  that, 
when  He  shall  appear,  we  may  have  confidence,  and  not 
be  ashamed  before  Him  at  His  parousia.'''  But  we  are 
not  to  be  deprived  of  John's  testimony  in  the  Apocalypse 
to  the  same  fact :  *'  Behold,  He  cometh  with  clouds ;  and 
every  eye  shall  see  Him,  and  they  also  which  pierced 
Him  :  and  all  kindreds  of  the  earth  shall  wail  because  *5f 
Him"  (Rev.  1:  7).  *'And  behold,  I  come  quickly ;  and 
my  reward  is  with  me,  to  give  every  man  as  his  work 
shall  be."  "  Surely  I  come  quickly.  Amen.  Even  so, 
come,  lyord  Jesus  "  (Rev.  22  :  12,  20).  These  words  cer- 
tainly were  never  penned  with  any  reference  to  the  ' '  de- 
struction of  Jerusalem,"  nor  even  before  that  event,  but 
long  after  it. 

Some  writers  seem  to  have  been  persuaded  by  ' '  mod- 
ern criticism,"  and  the  necessities  of  their  cause,  to  de- 
part from  the  traditional  hypothesis  that  the  true  date  of 


THE  PAROUSIA.  237 

the  Apocalypse  is  A.   D.   96.     In  doing  so,  they  have 
transferred  it  to  "  about  A.  D.  70."    Against  this  hypoth- 
esis, as  it  is  sought  to  be  made  a  matter  of  prime  impor- 
tance, [we  shall  cite  some  undisputed  authorities.     Ire- 
nseus  says :  ' '  The  Apocalypse  was  beheld  not  long  ago, 
but  in  the  time  of  our  own  generation  (our   own  day) 
toward  the  end  of  Domitian's  reign  "  (A.  D.  96).     (Vol. 
V.  (?)  chap.  XXX.).     "  Eusebius  and  Jerome  give  similar 
testimony."     And  Dean  Alford  shows  that  the  so-called 
Fathers  "declare  with  perfect  unanimity  that  John  was 
banished  A.   D.   96  by   Domitian  to  Patmos  and  there 
wrote  the  Apocalypse."    He  further  says,  "  I  have  no  hes- 
itation in  believing  with  the  ancient  Fathers  and  most 
competent   witnesses   that   the   Apocalypse  was   written 
toward  the  close  of  Domitian's  reign,  that  is,  about  the 
years  95  or  96  A.  D."     And  such  testimony  can  be  con- 
firmed by  reasoning  which  we  think  ought  to  be  conclu- 
sive.    For  example,  Hengstenberg  shows  in  detail  that 
the  contents  of  the  Apocalypse  correspond  to  the  time  of 
Domitian,  and  the  history  of  that  time;  and  amply  sup- 
port his  positions.     Banishment  was  certainly  a  form  of 
imperial  violence  never  exercised  by  Nero.     Secular  his- 
tory hardly  exaggerates  when  it  declares  that  "at  the  last 
he  killed  everybody  that  attracted  his  attention."     With 
Domitian,  however,  it  was  different,  since  he  banished  a 
number  of  philosophers  and   prominent  men,  including 
Epictetus.    Banishment  was  thus  employed  by  him,  along 
with  other  common  measures.     And  though  he  executed 
Christians,  there   are   instances  of   their  banishment,  of 
which  John  certainly   was  one.     And  from    his   prison 
home  in  Patmos,  he  wrote  "  in  a  book  "  the  things  which 
he  saw,  "  and  the  things  which  are,"  "  and  the  things 


238  MEMOIR  OF  DA  VID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

which  shall  be  after  these,"  and  sent  it  unto  the 
churches.  "  He  that  hath  an  ear,  let  him  hear  what  the 
Spirit  saith  unto  the  churches." 

Long  years  ago,  J.  J.  Gurney  exposed  this  same  "  con- 
ventional misrepresentation  of  Scriptures,"  that  we  have 
been  considering.  But  there  never  was  a  day  when  his 
solemn  warning  was  more  needful  than  the  present.  He 
exhorts  that  nothing  be  allowed  to  *  *  divert  us  from  a  firm, 
believing  expectation  of  that  momentous  day  when  Christ 
shall  come  again  in  visible  glory,  with  all  His  holy  angels, 
to  raise  the  dead,  to  make  manifest  the  secret  of  all  hearts, 
to  judge  righteous  judgment,  to  consign  the  wicked  to 
their  appointed  punishment,  and  forever  to  consummate 
the  glory  and  happiness  of  His  own  followers." 

And  to  treat  the  Scriptures  as  an  ordinary  volume  of 
good  advice,  and  to  explain  away  all  the  force  of  Biblical 
authority,  is  to  lull  souls  into  a  slumber,  only  to  be  broken 
by  the  startling  summons  of  the  appalling  blast  of  the 
archangel's  trumpet,  and  the  voice  of  God.  Even  now, 
there  peals  forth  the  solemn  cr}^  that  waxes  louder  and 
louder,  "  Behold,  the  Bridegroom  cometh;  go  ye  out  to 
meet  him  !  " 


CHAPTER   XXII. 

CONFESSIONS     OF     A     QUAKER. 
[Rewritten  from  the  Forum  for  April.] 

U  ^S  in  Nehemiah's  time,  so  the  work  of  the  church 
Cj  in  this  our  day  is  largely  one  of  '  rebuilding  the 
walls.'  But  there  is  very  much  rubbish  that  must  first  be 
gotten  out  of  the  way.  If  we  would  reach  the  foundation- 
stones  of  Christ  and  the  Apostles,  we  must  dig  down 
through  ecclesiasticism,  conventionalism,  and  traditions — 
heaps  upon  'heaps  of  rubbish.' 

"  And  this  means  toil,  patience,  self-denial  and  courage. 
Not  a  love  of  ease  and  popularity,  and  a  comfortable  hope 
of  getting  quietly  off  to  heaven,  but  the  true  militant 
spirit  that  will  '  follow  the  lamb  whithersoever  he  goeth.' 
As  a  divine  ideal,  the  Church  of  God  is  perfect,  '  a  new 
lump  and  unleavened.'  Yet  in  its  actual,  visible,  and 
militant  condition  it  is  of  a  mixed  character.  There  is 
the  '  old  leaven  '  to  purge  out,  the  '  old  man  '  to  put  off, 
and  '  false  doctrine  '  to  put  away,  and  God's  trumpet  call 
to  His  Church  is,  '  be  zealous  therefore  and  repent.  His 
tenderness  is  but  the  forerunner  of  His  faithfulness,  in 
the  warning,  '  as  many  as  I  love  I  rebuke  and  chasten.' 
'  Remember,  therefore,  from  whence  thou  hast  fallen,  and 
repent  and  do  the  first  w^orks.'  But  such  a  task  is  neither 
welcome  nor  pleasant,  and  many  are  the  devices,  in  order 

(239) 


240  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

to  evade  it.  It  is  far  easier  to  compare  ourselves  with 
ourselves,  and  salve  over  '  the  hurt  of  the  daughter  of  my 
people.'  It  is  easy,  too,  to  get  an  opiate  by  misapplying 
Solomon,  '  Say  not  thou  what  is  the  cause  that  the  former 
days  were  better  than  these  ! '  But  we  have  read  history 
to  little  purpose  if  we  fail  to  note  the  alternations  of  prog- 
ress and  regress,  of  revival  and  decline,  that  have  charac- 
terized the  church  in  all  ages;  and  that  every  genuine  re- 
vival of  religion  has  begun  with  an  exhortation  to  '  stand 
in  the  ways  and  ask  for  the  old  paths.'  God's  demand 
has  been  nothing  short  of  a  full  return  to  the  standard 
set  up  by  Himself,  whether  in  the  Old  Testament  or  in  the 
New. 

'*In  the  days  of  the  kings,  under  the  old  covenant, 
such  restorations  had  in  view  chiefly  the  discharge  of  re- 
ligious duties.  In  the  after  reformation  of  Luther  and 
others,  the  primary  work  was  the  rescue  of  Christian  doc- 
trine from  the  corruptions  of  Romanism.  In  the  still  later 
religious  awakening  of  the  seventeenth  century,  the  cen- 
tral idea  was  not  so  much  works,  or  doctrine,  as  experi- 
ence— Christian  experience  and  its  fruits.  This  was  pre- 
eminently true  of  the  *  Friends,'  who  took  their  rise  about 
1650.  The  attitude  toward  the  state  church  is  thus  au- 
thoritatively set  forth  by  William  Penn  : 

"  *  Setting  aside  some  school  terms,  we  hold  the  sub- 
stance of  those  doctrines  believed  by  the  Church  of  Eng- 
land as  to  God,  Christ,  Spirit,  Scripture,  etc,  But  that 
wherein  we  differ  most  is  about  worship  and  conversion, 
and  the  inward  qualification  of  the  soul  by  the  work  of 
God's  spirit  thereon,  in  pursuance  of  these  good  and  gen- 
erally received  doctrines. ' 

''And  again,  *  The  bent  and  stress  of  their  ministry  was 
conversion  to  God ;  regeneratioyi  and  holiness.    Not  schemes 


CONFESSIONS  OF  A  QUAKER.  241 

of  doctriyies  and  verbal  creeds  or  7icw  forms  of  worship,  etc.' 
'  Our  business,  after  all  the  ill  usages  we  have  met  with, 
being  the  realities  of  religio7i ' — [Penn's  Key.]  Such  is 
indeed,  the  key  to  an  explanation  of  the  phenomenal  in- 
crease and  sudden  rise  of  our  denomination. 

"  Such  distinctive  facts  in  experience,  were  illustrated 
by  a  degree  of  real  Christian  vitality,  zeal  and  energy  in 
the  early  days  of  the  church,  that  stands  in  remarkable 
contrast  with  its  later  history;  for  though  other  denom- 
inations have  insensibly  come  into  substantial  accord  with 
these  principles,  the  church,  which  was  the  most  zealous 
in  asserting  them,  has  itself  been  in  decline.  An  inquiry 
into  the  causes  underlying  such  declension  must  possess 
an  interest  to  all  who  to-day  hold  dear  the  privileges  of 
religious  liberty.  For  it  is  not  too  much  to  say  that  the 
early  Quaker  church  pioneered  the  experiment  of  inde- 
pendent church  organization,  and  that,  in  the  struggle 
for  civil  and  religious  liberty,  it  did  much  to  win  for  Eng- 
lishmen the  right  to  worship  God  according  to  their  con- 
scientious convictions.  About  thirty  years  ago  an  Eng- 
lish gentleman  (not  a  Friend,  we  think,)  offered  a  prize 
of  two  hundred  guineas  for  the  best  two  essays  upon  the 
question,  '  Why  has  the  powerful  witness  at  one  time  borne 
to  the  world  by  the  Society  of  Friends  been  gradually  be- 
coming more  and  more  feeble?  '  The  same  question  has 
engaged  the  attention  of  candid  members  of  the  Friends, 
as  well  as  other  denominations,  for  generations. 

*  *  We  are  quite  accustomed  to  weeping  Jeremiades  over 
an  admitted  decline,  but  its  cause  has  mostly  been  sought 
in  external  and  secondary  matters — rather  than  from  an 
internal  and  foundational  standpoint.  Of  course,  much 
that  has  been  said  is  both  just  and  true,  yet  the  question 
ever  recurs;  and  we  are  bound  to  confess  that  in  our  past 


242         MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.  UPDEGRAFF- 

investigations,  rather  than  go  down  into  the  serious  bus- 
iness of  humble  confession,  we  rise  again  to  resolve  that, 
after  all,  there  is  no  change  to  be  desired,  '  either  as  to 
our  usages  or  principles,'  and  that  our  only  lack  is  '  more 
zeal  and  earnestness.'  Comparing  ourselves  with  others 
is  quite  sure  to  result  in  the  vain  but  comforting  assur- 
ance of  our  own  superiority.  If,  however,  a  true  answer 
can  be  discovered  and  fairly  acknowledged,  at  any  cost, 
with  an  honest  purpose  to  apply  the  remedy,  we  are  san- 
guine of  a  blessed  future  for  the  church.  And  it  is  with 
such  a  hope  that  this  examination  has  been  entered  upon. 
A  glance  at  a  few  important  points  will  perhaps  sufficiently 
account  for  the  remarkable  growth  of  the  early  Quaker 
church. 

"I.  And,  first,  we  must  of  course  note  the  peculiar 
conditions  produced  by  both  the  civil  and  religious  move- 
ments of  that  age.  Bishop  Hall  describes  '  the  woeful 
havoc  that  the  hellish  fury  of  war  hath  made  everywhere 
in  this  flourishing  and  populous  island — the  flames  of 
hostile  fury  rising  up  in  our  own  towns  and  cities,  the  de- 
vastation of  our  fruitful  and  pleasant  villages,'  etc.  And 
equally  sad  was  the  state  of  religion.  Formal,  outward, 
and  worldly,  it  did  but  mock  those  whose  hearts  hungered 
for  spiritual  realities.  In  their  indifference  to  this,  the 
great  parties  of  Puritan  and  Papist  were  engaged  in  un- 
holy rivalry  for  an  alliance  with  the  state.  But  sects 
without  number  were  springing  up  from  one  end  of  Eng- 
land to  the  other.  Each  of  these  schisms  had  its  own  pe- 
culiar tenets  or  principles.  And  while  they  all  differed 
in  some  respects,  they  were  all  agreed  in  an  enthusiastic 
expectation  of  a  *  godly,  thorough  reformation,'  and  the 
trend  was  toward  pietism.  But,  so  far,  all  had  failed  to 
satisfy  the  demands  of  the  age.     At  such  a  moment,  as 


CONFESSIONS  OF  A  QUAKER.  243 

Spurgeon  says,  'God  sent  into  the  world  George  Fox.' 
He  and  his  compeers  discerned,  with  remarkable  clear- 
ness, both  the  needs  and  the  spirit  of  their  time.  And, 
inasmuch  as  they  had  come  to  an  experimental  knowl- 
edge of  Christ  enlightening  and  saving  their  own  souls, 
they  recommended  a  like  experience  to  others,  as  a  solu- 
tion of  the  problems  that  troubled  them;  they  then  sought 
to  unify  and  incorporate  into  a  worshiping  body  those  thus 
brought  out  of  darkness  into  light.  They  exhibited  the 
logical  outworking  of  the  very  theories  already  dimly  seen 
by  multitudes.  Of  course,  their  success  was  remarkable, 
and  the  result  was  that  the  '  Friends'  Church  '  became  the 
sect  of  that  age. 

"II.  In  most  pronounced  and  unmistakable  terms  they 
claimed  to  be  the  restored  Church  of  Christ.  Indeed,  there 
can  be  no  doubt  but  that  some  extravagant  claims  were 
made  to  that  effect.  But  they  were  honest  and  earnest 
in  the  attempt  to  reform  the  corrupt  church,  and  could 
consistently  take  no  lower  or  narrower  ground.  And  yet 
they  evidently  had  no  thought  of  erecting  a  new  church; 
in  fact,  they  disclaimed  any  such  intention.  But  they  did 
claim  to  be  the  very  ark  of  salvation  for  the  people,  and  a 
holy  church.  And  they  afforded  to  that  age  just  such 
signs  as  it  demanded,  to  establish  this  claim. 

"III.  A  'personal  experience'  of  the  salvation  they 
preached,  was,  of  course,  the  primodial  and  fundamental 
fact  as  related  to  all  other  facts  of  importance  connected 
with  our  subject.  The  early  preachers,  as  Fox,  Howgill, 
Bur  rough,  Nay  lor,  have  left  on  record  plain  and  authentic 
evidence  of  this.  They  were  witnesses  unto  a  personal 
Christ,  who  had  not  only  died  for  them,  but  lived  to  save 
them,  and  did  save  '  to  the  uttermost.'  They  witnessed 
to  an  experience  in  which  the  Holy  Ghost  really  acted 


244  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

Upon  their  wills  and  faculties,  energizing  them  to  speak 
and  work.  The  very  name  of  '  Friend,'  implied  their 
perfect  readiness  to  be  thus  led  into  paths  either  new  or 
old.  The  names  of  sects,  as  '  Presbyterians,'  'Congrega- 
tionalists,'  'Methodists,'  etc.,  generally  designate  some 
special  church  polity,  or  method  of  organization  or  gov- 
ernment. Not  vSO  *  Friends  '  a  term  having  no  reference 
to  usuages  of  any  description,  but  indicating  nearnCvSS  to 
Christ,  and  confessing  to  a  covenant  to  '  do  whatsoever  I 
command  you,'  or  to  be  bound,  in  all  things,  by  His  exam- 
ple and  precepts.  Now,  this  name,  with  all  that  it  in- 
volves, was  acknowledged  and  chosen  by  the  denomina- 
tion itself.  And  in  this  simple  fact  is  to  be  found  the 
real  raisoii  d'  ctre  of  our  separate  existence  as  a  people. 
And  all  attempts  to  ground  it  upon  some  peculiarities  of 
usage  or  non-usage,  do  violence  to  the  truth,  and  insult 
the  memory  of  the  fathers. 

"IV.  The  Bible  was  their  creed,  theology,  and  disci- 
pline. They  constantly  decried  all  other  credal  tests,  and 
defended  every  tenet  by  direct  appeal  to  the  Bible.  '  For 
thanks  be  to  God,'  says  William  Penn,  '  that  only  is  our 
creed,  and  wath  good  reason  ;  since  it  is  fit  that  only 
should  be  the  creed  of  Christians,  which  the  Holy  Ghost 
could  only  propose,  and  require  us  to  believe.'  Robert 
Barclay  affirms  that  they  professed  '  doctrines  and  prin- 
ciples of  truth  as  they  were  delivered  by  the  Apostles  of 
Christ  in  the  Holy  Scriptures.'  And  Edward  Burrough 
distinctly  defines  the  object  of  their  existence  as  a  sect,  to 
be  the  restoration  of  primitive  and  scriptural  Christianity, 
in  doctrine,  discipline, and  practice.  A  '  discipline  '  formed 
no  part  of  the  original  compact.  There  appears  to  have 
been  no  outward  or  written  rules  at  all  until  about  1670, 
and  very  few  indeed,  until  near  1700.    And  when  George 


CONFESSIONS  OF  A  QUAKER.  245 

Fox  had  to  deal  with  schismatics  he  simply  appealed  to 
the  Scriptures,  which,  he  said,  *  prescribe  how  men  should 
walk,  both  toward  God  and  man.'  They  relied  upon  the 
indwelling  and  presiding  Spirit,  as  the  bond  of  church 
unity.  As  spiritual  worshipers,  the  Friends  were  freed 
from  the  slavery  of  forms,  and  at  liberty  to  follow  the 
leadings  of  the  Spirit.  With  reliance  upon  Him  as  the 
Maker  of  all  forms,  they  needed  little  pre-arrangement  for 
worship.  He  could  animate  and  bless  that  which  was 
both  new  and  old,  and  they  were  ready  for  either.  They 
had  no  respect  whatever  for  mere  tradition,  and  had  com- 
pletely broken  with  the  past.  And  when  they  called 
men  away  from  '  man-made  creeds  to  the  Church  of  the 
living  God, '  they  meant  it.  They  called  them  not  to  their 
creed,  nor  to  themselves,  nor  to  their  ancestors,  but  to 
Christ  himself. 

"V.  Again,  incessant  and  tireless  ze/^;/^  characterized 
this  early  church.  Easy-chair  piety  had  no  place  with 
them.  They  well  knew  that  without  Christ  they  could 
do  nothing;  but  instead  of  sitting  still  from  year's  end  to 
year's  end,  declaring  their  helplessness,  the}^  illustrated 
complemental  truth,  '  I  can  do  all  things  through  Christ, 
which  strengtheneth  me.'  They  really  believed  they 
were  co-workers  with  God,  and  gave  good  evidence  that 
this  was  not  an  illusion. 

* '  Religion  was  the  whole  business  of  the  Quakers  then. 
Nothing  less  than  diligent  efforts  for  the  salvation  of  the 
race  could  at  all  consist  with  their  high  claims  to  spirit- 
uality, and  they  felt  it.  To  this  work  all  temporal  en- 
gagements must  give  place.  Men  of  every  trade  gave  up 
their  occupations  in  order  to  make  spiritual  conquests.  It 
was  expected  of  those  who  joined  the  church  that  they 
should  become  missionaries,  and  nearly  every  one  did 


^46         MEMOIR  OP  DAVID  B.  VPD^GRAPP. 

go  to  preaching.  And  their  ministr}^  was  aggressive — 
*  fiercely  aggressive, '  we  are  told.  To  become  a  Quaker 
then  was  almost  synonymous  with  becoming  a  preacher, 
and  involved  the  necessity  of  defending  the  truth  em- 
braced. Itinerant  and  lay  preaching  was  just  suited  to 
the  people  and  the  times.  Thus  the  most  effective  agency 
for  religious  work  almost  ever  known  was  developed  and 
utilized  by  this  church.  The  sum  of  it  all  is,  that  in  the 
days  of  George  Fox  'they  sought  God,  and  as  long  as 
they  sought  the  Lord,  God  made  them  prosper,'  so  that 
in  England  alone  there  were  more  Friends  then  than  in 
all  Christendom  now;  and,  perhaps,  we  may  understand 
why  this  is  so  if  we  briefly  compare  the  modern  with  the 
early  Quaker  church,  in  respect  to  W\ejive  points  already 
noticed. 

"  I.  The  peculiar  and  providential  tendency  of  our  age 
is  toward  catholicity  and  union,  not  sectarianism.  Chris- 
tian associations,  congresses,  and  alliances  all  over  the 
w^orld  proclaim  an  earnest  desire  and  endeavor  for  the 
oneness  of  Christians.  It  is  true  that  these  efforts  have 
been  ineffectual  and  wide  of  the  mark,  in  so  far  as  either 
good  doing  or  good  thinking  has  been  exalted  as  the  true 
ground  of  unity.  It  will  never  be  found  in  what  men 
do,  or  think,  but  in  what  they  really  are.  The  denomi- 
nation which  is  most  successful  in  making  men  what  they 
ought  to  be,  must  be  quick  to  utilize  and  to  give  right  di- 
rection to  the  providential  issues  furnished  in  their  day. 
But  the  catholicit}^  of  mind  needful  for  this  looks  danger- 
ous to  the  sect,  and  there  is  great  alarm  lest  our  identity 
be  lost;  and  to  preserve  this  is  still  the  supreme  thought 
with  most.  And  though,  outside  of  denominational  lines, 
the  spirit  of  bigotr}^  and  intolerance  hides  its  head  for 
very  shame,  yet  inside  these  lines  it  scruples  not  to  enact 


CONJ^£SSIONS  OF  A  QUAKER,  247 

most  uncatholic  and  intolerent  legislation  against  true 
Christian  liberty — though  lenient  as  to  real  heresy.  And 
the  'mantle  of  charity,'  kept  for  public  occasions,  hangs 
with  ludicrous  looseness  on  the  shoulders  of  narrow  lit- 
tle men.  And  it  must  be  confessed  that  many  Friends  of 
to-day  engage  in  a  positive  resistance  to  the  God-given 
opportunities  of  the  hour,  and  persist  in  the  path  of  self- 
destruction. 

*'II.  There  came  a  time  when  the  high  responsibili- 
ties and  claims  involved  in  the  idea  of  the  '  church '  were 
made  to  yield  before  the  lower  ones  involved  in  the  idea 
of  the  'society.'  This  was  a  virtual  abandonment  of  the 
original  ground,  for  while  Christ  builds  the  church,  man 
founds  and  organizes  the  society.  No  mere  society  can 
rise  higher  than  devotion  to  itself,  and  to  the  honor  of 
its  human  founders.  It  must,  therefore,  contain  in  itself 
the  sentence  of  decay  and  death.  There  can  possibly  be 
but  one  organization  or  union  of  persons  on  earth  not 
subject  to  this  law,  and  that  is  the  true  Church  of  Jesus 
Christ,  wherever  it  may  exist.  It  is  builded  together  for 
a  habitation  of  God  through  the  Spirit,  and  it  has  His 
promise,  '  Lo,  I  am  with  you  always,'  and  no  other  organ- 
ization ever  had  such  a  promise.  It  is  difficult  to  say 
just  when  the  claim  of  the  fathers  was  relinquished  and 
even  contradicted  by  their  sons,  but  symptoms  of  transi- 
tion from  the  church  to  the  society  appear  before  1700. 
About  that  time  the  traditional  spirit  became  dominant, 
though  the  fact  was  lamented  and  rebuked  by  Fox  and 
others.  Then  the  experimental  witnesses  to  the  presence 
and  power  of  Christ  were  succeeded  by  many  who  could 
only  witness  to  the  usages  and  spirituality  of  their  fore- 
fathers. Aggressiveness  ceased,  and  so  did  persecution. 
Increase  of   membership  ceased,  and   the   decrease   was 


248  MEMOIR  OF  DA  VID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

alarming.  Birthright  membership  and  lay  eldership  were 
soon  introduced.  The  ministy  declined,  and  such  as  re- 
mained seems  to  have  been  devoted  to  the  interests  of  the 
society.  Its  energies  were  emplo5^ed  in  efforts  for  self- 
preser\^ation,  and  to  settle  internal  controversies.  Dr. 
Pressense  speaks  to  the  point  when  he  says  that  a  church, 
*  whose  only  care  is  for  itself  and  its  privileges  is  not  a 
church,  for  it  resembles  its  Head  in  nothing  but  in  name, 
and  it  bears  His  name  only  to  dishonor  it. ' 

"  III.  In  point  of  experience  the  contrast  between  that 
found  in  the  society  and  in  the  earlier  church  seems  as 
great  as  in  other  respects.  The  church  insisted  upon  a 
scriptural  membership,  or  that  '  to  be  a  member  of  a  par- 
ticular Church  of  Christ,  as  this  inward  work  is  indis- 
pensably necessar}^  so  is  also  the  outward  prof essio7i  of 
and  belief  in  Jesus  Christ,  and  those  holy  truths  deliv- 
ered by  His  Spirit  in  the  Scriptures.'  *  George  Fox  de- 
clared that  the  church  '  is  made  up  of  living  stones,  liv- 
ing members,  a  spiritual  household  of  which  Christ  is 
the  head.'  But  when  we  come  to  the  hereditary  society 
we  find  men  becoming  Christians  (?)  '  by  birth  and  edu- 
cation, and  not  byconversion  and  renovation,  of  spirit.' 
Barclay's  language,  delineating  the  apostasy  of  the  apos- 
tolic churches,  most  fittingly  applies  to  his  own.  '  For 
the  particular  churches  of  Christ,  gathered  in  the  apos- 
tles' days,  soon  after  beginning  to  decay  as  to  the  inward 
life,  came  to  be  overgrown  with  several  errors,  and  the 
hearts  of  the  professors  of  Christianity  to  be  leavened 
w4th  the  old  spirit  and  conversation  of  the  world.'  How 
could  it  be  otherwise,  with  a  birthright  membership,  from 
whom  no  confession  of  Christ  or  of  their  own  regeneration 
had  ever  been  required,  nor  even  the  responsibility  in- 

*  R.  Barclay,  "Apol.,"  Prop.  X. 


CONFESSIONS  OF  A  QUAKER.  249 

volved  in  making  an  outward  profession  of  religion  ?  To 
be  sure,  '  disorderly  walkers  '  were  expelled,  and  inno- 
cency  of  life  and  conversation  was  insisted  upon,  but, 
after  all,  the  difference  between  them  and  other  respect- 
able sinners  might  consist  only  in  matters  of  education 
and  usage.  Of  course,  hereditary  members  must  have 
hereditary  convictions,  prejudices,  and  customs,  to  which 
they  adhere  w^th  a  fleshly  and  unreasoning  tenacity. 
They  are  ours,  neither  because  of  reason  not  of  revela- 
tion, but  of  inheritance;  hence  are  a  part  of  our  natural 
make-up.  And  yet  there  was  incumbent  upon  the  so- 
ciety a  sort  of  hereditary  duty  to  keep  up  a  continuity  of 
witness  to  the  'immediate  guidance  of  the  Spirit.'  But  if 
this  is  merely  a  doctrinal,  and  not  an  experimental  wit- 
ness, it  is  but  the  activity  of  a  galvanized  corpse. 

"  IV.  T/ic  Bible  has  been  superseded  as  the  only  creed 
and  under  the  modern  regime  of  the  society  there  came  to 
be  a  virtual  substitution  of  the  '  Writings  of  Early  Friends ' 
for  the  Scriptures.  It  seems  incredible,  to  the  average 
mind,  that  the  *  comments  '  of  these  good  men  should  not 
be  binding  upon  us.  But  they  are  not,  and  it  has  been  a 
great  mistake  to  regard  them  so.  In  fact,  the  opposition 
of  the  early  Friends  to  *  man-made  creeds  '  was  universal 
and  unalterable.  Their  writings  are  not  all  of  the  nature 
or  design  of  a  creed;  and  William  Penn  expressly  pro- 
tests against  the  tendency  to  set  up  their  '  comments ' 
upon  Scripture  as  authoritative,  and  says  that  if  these  be 
'made  the  creed  instead  of  the  text,  from  that  time  we  be- 
lieve not  in  God  but  in  man.'  Nevertheless,  our  bondage 
to  ecclesiasticism  has  been  precisely  similar  to  that  from 
which  our  fathers  claimed  a  commission  from  God  to  de- 
liver men.  So,  too,  hyper-spirituality  pushed  the  doc- 
trine of  the  Spirit's  guidance  beyond  scriptural  limits, 
17 


250  MEMOIR  OF  DA  VID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

and  some  'went  out  into  imaginations,'  as  said  George 
Fox,  and  asserted  the  necessity  of  '  a  judge  of  outward 
controversy  above  Scripture.'  Bold  and  fanatical  pre- 
tenders to  inspiration  have  always  found  adherents,  and 
the  attempts  of  Penn  and  Barclay  to  modify  their  extrav- 
agant claims  failed  to  nullify  their  deadly  effects.  The 
early  Friends  relied  upon  the  spiritual  enlightenment  of 
individual  believers  to  such  an  extent  as  would  secure 
sufficient  unification  in  faith  and  practice  for  the  Church 
of  Christ.  And  their  trust  was  not  delUvSive,  in  so  far  as 
the  membership  was  up  to  the  mark  of  experimental  sal- 
vation, which  they  professed,  taught,  and  required.  But 
tlie  society's  remedy  for  a  fatal  defect  in  this  respect  was 
not  after  the  divine  or  Gospel  plan,  nor  yet  after  the  hu- 
man plan,  of  a  condensed,  deliberate,  and  authoritative 
creed.  Its  substitnte  for  the  lost  bond  of  spiritual  unioft 
was  legislation.  Rules  of  discipline  have  been  freely 
used  for  undergirding  the  ship.  And  it  is  not  always  the 
question  whether  the  things  prohibited  are  wrong  and 
sinful  in  themselves,  but  are  they  'Quakerly?'  Disci- 
pline has  been  enforced  against  tens  of  thousands  of 
members  who  had  never  offended  their  own  consciences, 
nor  the  Word  of  God,  nor  apostolic  practice,  simply  to 
vindicate  consistency  with  'our  views.'  Indeed,  our 
'  handwriting  of  ordinances '  has  once  been  as  minute  and 
exacting  as  that  of  the  Jews  themselves.  It  has  dealt 
with  hats,  coats,  cravats,  suspenders,  trousers,  shoes, 
beards,  bonnets,  shawls,  dresses,  speech,  and  marriage. 
Truly,  a  law  of  sin  and  death,  the  penalties  of  which  mul- 
titudes have  suffered.  Such  outward  signs  liave  been  en- 
forced with  the  same  rigor  that  some  other  '  outward 
signs '  have  been  banished.  And  it  must  be  confessed 
that  such  strictness  of  legislation  and  society  require- 


CONFESSIONS  OF  A  QUAKER.  251 

ments  has  always  been  in  an  inverse  ratio  to  the  spiritual 
life  and  power,  and  the  demand  for  3.  scriptural  righteous- 
7iess.  Now,  that  a  church  may  have  its  discipline  there 
is  no  question,  and  this  may* be  just  as  'broad  as  God's 
commandments '  are,  but  it  must  keep  within  the  Word 
of  God,  or  it  ceases  to  be  a  law  of  His  church. 

"It  may,  indeed,  be  the  law  of  an  association,  or  a  club, 
or  a  society,  and  contain  any  rules  they  see  fit  to  adopt, 
but  if  a  church  insists  upon  rules  which  transcend  the 
constitutional  law  which  God  has  given,  in  His  word, 
it  must  cease  to  be  a  church  ;  for  it  forfeits  the  headship 
of  Christ,  and  by  its  own  act  secedes  from  the  com- 
monwealth of  churches,  just  as  a  state  can  do  a  similar 
thing. 

"V.  Our  last  point  of  contrast  relates  to  work  and  its 
results.  To  gather  a  church  out  of  the  world  was  the 
hard  work  of  ministers  '  filled  with  the  Spirit,'  who  went 
everywhere  preaching  the  Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ,  and 
who  were  rewarded  with  success.  To  rear  up  birthright 
members  of  a  society,  and  give  them  religious  training 
and  a  guarded  education,  is  largely  the  work  of  parents, 
John  Fry,  an  eminent  minister,  wrote  a  letter  to  the 
'  Morning  Meeting  of  Ministers  and  Elders '  (of  which 
he  w^as  the  first  clerk)  in  1765.     He  says: 

" 'This  tV^?^;T/^  was  at  first  gathered  by  a  living  and 
pow^erful  ministry,  and  now  the  society  and  its  rulers  be- 
gin to  think  that  the  situation  is  altered,  and  that  it  can 
now  thrive  and  grow  and  become  fresh  and  green  with- 
out it !  Are  we  ashamed  of  the  foolishness  of  preaching 
which  was  so  effectual  in  primitive  times  ?  '  * 

♦"Inuer  Life,"  etc.     By  R.  Barclay.     London;  1877. 


252  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.  UPDEGRAFF, 

"111  the  meantime  the  system  of  lay  eldership,  or  an 
order  of  men  that  controlled  and  governed  the  ministry 
to  an  alarming  extent,  was  introduced. 

"'Ministers  were  exposed  to  hasty  and  uncalled-for 
criticism  by  those  fond  of  such  a  task,  and,  therefore,  not 
right  themselves.'  Then  there  came  a  testimonj'  to 
'  silent  meetings,'  and  ministerial  activity  was  more  than 
discouraged.  The  radical  change  tlius  affected,  is  strik- 
ingly shown  by  another  statement  in  the  letter  already 
cited.  Its  author  says  that  he  went  at  the  usual  time  to 
the  London  Ministers'  Meeting  on  the  First-da}'  morn- 
ing, and  found  that  not  a  single  minister  attended !  'I 
went  away,'  he  writes,  'disappointed  and  sorrowful,  re- 
flecting on  the  flourishing  state  of  that  meeting,  when  I 
first  attended  it  nearly  forty  years  since,  when  it  con- 
sisted of  ministers  only  !  '  While  these  men  in  the  early 
church  gave  up  their  business  for  the  work  of  the  minis- 
tr}^  we  find  in  our  day  men  who  give  up  the  ministry  for 
their  business.  And  there  are  strong  tendencies  to  yield 
to  the  secularizing  influences  of  the  day.  This  material- 
istic, free-thinking,  and  lawless  age  is  pleased  with  any- 
thing unchurchly  and  anti-ordinance.  It  hates  Bibles 
and  creeds,  and  Sabbaths  and  'technical  piety,'  and  it 
flatters  those  of  a  loose  theology  on  such  matters.  It 
loves  money  and  ease,  and  honors  and  carnal  security, 
and  self-indulgence.     But,  says  Edward  Burrough  : 

"  *  This  way  of  religion  is  accordhig  to  the  Scriptures, 
and  in  the  fulfilling  of  them  in  doctrine,  practice,  and 
conversation;  and  the  ministry,  ordinances,  church  gov- 
ernment, and  discipline  are  in  the  same  power  and  Spirit, 
and  by  the  example  of  the  apostles;  for  the  Spirit  of  God, 
which  did  convince  our  consciences  of  the  truth  of  this 


CONFESSIONS  OF  A  QUAKER.  253 

way,  leads  us  in  the  same  way^.  as  the  sen^ants  of  God 
walked  in  the  doctrines  and  practices. '  '^^ 

Once  again  let  it  be  proclaimed,  that  in  order  to  build 
up  the  church  and  increase  its  membership  by  legitimate 
ingatherings  from  the  world,  there  must  be  a  full  return 
to  the  original  basis  of  the  church  of  Christ,  and  entire 
consecration  to  its  living  Head,  in  theology,  polity, 
EXPERIENCE,  and  WORK.  And  the  only  true  model  for 
this  is  found  in  the  New  Testament  Scriptures  !  " 

*  Barclay's  "  luner  Life." 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

A    FINISH E 13    COURSE. 

"I  have  finished  my  course." 

Q'OMKONK  lia.s  said,  "A  man  is  immortal  until  his 
f~)  work  is  done."  This,  of  conrse,  needs  some  qual- 
ification, for  some  men  die  before  they  have  ever  begun 
the  true  work  of  life.  And  others,  if  we  read  Scripture 
aright,  are  cut  off  in  divine  chastisement  and  judgment 
for  violation  of  laws  and  principles  of  spiritual  life.  We 
do  believe  this;  that  one  abiding  in  the  fullness  of  the 
Spirit  will  surely  live  out  his  days.  And  this  we  say 
with  full  recognition  of  the  fact  that  manj-  very  good  men 
die  at  what  we  call  the  very  prime  of  life.  So  did  Jesus, 
And  of  the  fact  that  .some  of  God's  saints  are  martyred 
at  the  hands  of  wicked  men.  Indeed,  it  was  predicted 
that  .some  should  /fj'  S2ich  death  glorify  God.  Again,  it  is 
no  douVjt  true  that  some  men  seem  to  wear  themselves  out 
in  the  service  of  the  Lord  by  arduous  toils,  wearisome 
journeys,  disorganized  habits  of  sleep  and  diet,  expos- 
ures by  rea.son  of  change  of  climate,  etc.  Adam  Clark, 
the  commentator,  says  somewhere  that  "  any  minister 
who  will  be  faithful  to  his  trust  will  become  a  7uartyr.'* 
For  all  this  there  is  ground  to  believe  that  a  special  Prov- 
idence guards  aiid  guides  a  holy  mart's  life.  And  many 
mysteries  and  perplexities  in  reconciling  this  with  some 

(254 


A  FINISHED  COURSE.  255 

of  the  things  just  referred  to  will  vanish  when  we  recog- 
nize that  not  longevity,  but  the  fulfillment  of  God's  will 
in  us  and  through  us,  is  the  true  purpose  of  life.  When 
this  is  fulfilled,  a  man's  work  and  his  day  end  together. 

It  was  so  with  the  blessed  Master,  who  could  not  be 
taken  and  destroyed  before  His  hour  was  come,  and  was 
able  to  address  the  Father  saying,  "  I  have  finished  the 
work  which  thou  gavest  me  to  do."  It  was  so  with  the 
Apostle  Paul,  who  anticipated  and  announced  his  depart- 
ure, and  tCvStified,  "  I  have  finished  my  course,  I  have 
kept  the  faith." 

We  believe  it  was  so  with  Da\4d  Updegraff.  It  is  evi- 
dently the  divine  will  to  preadvise  His  faithful  servants 
of  the  approach  of  their  translation.  And  .some  things 
make  us  feel  that  his  end  did  not  take  him  so  much  by 
surprise  as  it  did  some  of  us.  Though  it  was  not  until 
within  a  very  few  weeks  of  his  death  that  he  was  ap- 
prised, or  at  all  suspicious,  of  the  grave  nature  of  the 
complaint  which  took  his  life,  and  which  had  been 
stealthily  preying  upon  his  strength  for  probably  some 
years  before,  yet,  as  we  review  it  now,  we  are  convinced 
that  he  must  have  been,  by  some  Scriptural  insight,  in 
anticipation  of  his  departure.  He  had  set  his  house  in 
order.  Kverything,  so  far  as  human  foresight  and  pru- 
dent management  could  control,  had  been  arranged  for 
the  adjustment  and  allotment  of  his  affairs.  He  had 
been  the  burden-bearer  for  his  family  and  for  friends,  and 
now  he  wisely  planned  for  their  welfare,  as  the  responsi- 
bilities nnist  be  dropped  by  him,  to  be  taken  up  by  an- 
other. 

For  some  months  before  his  death,  and  before  his 
friends  were  apprehensive  of  its  approach,  he  manifested 
a  solicitous  concern  about  pastoral  supply  for  the  church 


256  MEMOIR  OF  DA  VID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

at  Mount  Pleasant.  For  years  he  had  been  their  fore- 
most preacher  and  practically  their  pastor.  Like  a  lov- 
ing father,  he  was  anxious  that  suitable  provision  should 
be  made  for  the  flock.  And  it  was  a  noticeable  coin- 
cidence that  the  committee  appointed  by  the  meeting 
to  consider  the  question  met  the  very  same  week  in 
which  David  died  to  report  the  result  of  their  considera- 
tions upon  the  matter,  the  outcome  of  which  was,  that 
with  scarcely  an  interim,  his  ministry  among  them  was 
succeeded  by  the  faithful  pastoral  labors  of  John  Pen- 
nington, who  received  the  call  to  this  ofi&ce  as  coming 
from  God  Himself. 

David,  in  like  manner,  had  about  drawn  his  literary 
labors  to  a  close.  It  was  against  much  loving  entreaty 
and  some  earnest  remonstrance  that  he  concluded  the 
"  Friends'  Expositor  "  with  the  sixth  volume.  Some  felt 
it  to  be  in  the  ver}'  height  of  its  influence.  None  felt 
willing  to  forego  its  blessed  helpfulness.  But  he  was 
quietly,  lovingly  firm  in  his  decision  that  his  ministry  in 
this  direction  was  ended. 

''  O1.D  Corn  "  was  published  a  year  or  more  before  he 
left  us.  And  though  at  the  time  he  was  busy  pushing  it 
through  for  the  prCvSs,  other  matters  were  crowding  upon 
him,  and  some  suggested  that  he  should  defer  it  for  a  more 
convenient  season,  he  answered  (though  in  a  way  not  to 
create  alarm)  in  a  manner,  that  clearly  indicated  that  he 
understood  it  was  ''iiow  or  never y  And  so  it  proved;  for, 
had  it  been  deferred  until  the  following  year,  it  is  safe  to 
say  it  would  never  have  been  published  at  all. 

Towards  the  very  close  of  his  career  he  had  a  clear  pre- 
sentiment that  his  end  was  at  hand.  A  week  before  his 
death  he  aroused  loved  ones  at  the  midnight  hour,  to  tell 
them  that  he  had  been  apprised  that  the  "sentence  of 


A  FINISHED  COURSE.  257 

death  was  now  upon  him."  This  was  unattended  with 
any  new  or  serious  developments  at  the  time,  though  he 
was  now  so  ill  that  loving  and  sanguine  friends  were 
very  ready  to  think  or  hope  that  he  was  simply  delirious. 
But  this  impression  abode  with  him  from  this  on  by  day 
and  by  night.  Devout  friends  who  gathered  at  his  bed- 
side from  day  to  da^-  reminded  him  how,  though  the  sen- 
tence of  death  had  passed  upon  Hezekiah,  yet  his  days 
were  lengthened  fifteen  years  in  answer  -to  importunate 
prayer;  and  could  not  the  Lord  do  this  for  their  David? 
"  Yes,"  he  replied ;  and  if  thou  hast  faith  for  that,  pray." 
The  season  of  prayer  which  followed  was  a  marvelous 
time  of  blessing.  Heaven  and  earth  seemed  to  overlap. 
As  at  Bethel,  God  was  truly  in  the  place.  The  sweetest 
assurances  of  divine  grace  and  power  came  to  every  heart. 
Most  all  of  them  intetpreted  these  great  blessings  as  as- 
surances that  David  would  rise  yet  to  bless  the  world  with 
his  ministry.  Some,  indeed,  were  very  confident  of  this. 
And  little  wonder;  for  we  are  all  so  liable  to  misinterpret 
heaven's  telegrams  on  the  side  of  our  desire.  David's 
original  impression  or  conviction  was  the  true  one. 
Though  doctors  thought  he  was  getting  better,  and 
though  spiritually-minded  friends  believed  he  could  not 
die,  yet  our  heavenly  Father  had  sweetly  said,  "It  is 
enough."  He  was  going  up  higher.  And  we  take  it 
that  these  mighty  blessings  and  misinterpreted  assur- 
ances were  the  Savior's  way  of  telling  us  that  "  My  grace 
is  sufficient  for  thee." 

Till  within  about  a  day  of  the  end  he  was  both  rational 
and  conscious.  He  was  favored  in  death  with  the  minis- 
try of  loving  wife  and  faithful  children;  and  surrounded 
with  some,  too,  who  were  his  children  and  companions  in 
the  labors  of  the  Gospel  and  the  aflairs  of  the  church. 


258  MEMOIR  OF  DA  VID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

Every  mark  of  Christ's  love  and  of  Christian  love  was 
plainly  visible  in  the  djdng  hour  of  the  man  of  God  and 
servant  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

It  was  at  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  on  Wednesday, 
the  twenty-third  day  of  May,  1894,  that  he  left  us.  As 
the  news  flashed  over  the  wires,  and  through  the  country, 
what  surprise,  what  sorrow  were  felt  by  hearts  and  homes 
and  churches!  The  feeling  shared  by  almost  everyone 
who  knew  him  was,  "  I  have  lost  an  intimate,  personal 
friend."  He  had  been  a  helper  to  so  many's  joys,  and  a 
sympathizer  in  so  many's  sorrows,  that  we  wept  and  have 
felt  lonely  ever  since,  as  though  a  father  were  taken 
away.  We  append,  a  little  farther  on,  a  few  of  the  flow- 
ers which  loving  hearts  and  hands  hastened  to  drop  on 
his  casket,  but  will  speak  here  more  -particularly  of  his 
funeral  and  the  Memorial  service  which  followed. 

HIS    DEPARTURE. 

* '  It  was  Tuesday  morning  before  the  devoted  house- 
hold came  fully  to  realize  that  their  beloved  was  really 
going  to  leave  them.  All  that  day  he  sj:>ent  in  a  state  of 
coma,  .sinking  steadily — we  think  without  sense  of  sufi'er- 
ing — until  Wednesday  afternoon  at  8  o'clock,  when  his 
^^irit  calmly  took  its  flight  and  his  body  rested.  Antici- 
p.  .^^.  this  hour,  he  had  asked  that  his  children  sing  while 
he  was  breathing  his  last, 

'  Sweeping  through  the  gates, 
Washed  in  the  blood  of  the  Ivamb.' 

**  Faithful,  loving  children,  they  did  their  best.  But 
their  breaking,  sobbing  hearts  were  unable  to  make  music, 
save  in  a  minor  key  and  to  broken  measure.  Rev.  Z. 
Hussey,  a  minister  of  the  Society  of  Friends,  and  an  in- 
timate friend  of  Brother  Updegraff ,  was  by  his  side,  and 


A  FINISHED  COURSE.  259 

at  this  moment  commended  his  spirit  to  the  God  who  gave 
it.  And  thus,  amidst  the  comforts  of  his  own  family  cir- 
cle, and  with  the  loving  care  of  his  long  invalid  wife,  who, 
as  he  told  her,  had  been  raised  up  to  minister  to  his  d}  ing 
hours,  and  surrounded  by  Christian  friends,  and  with  the 
very  breath  of  heaven,  our  beloved  David  closed  his  earthly 
toils,  to  enter  the  courts  of  glor3%  where,  with  the  songs 
unchecked  by  sobs,  the  angels  met  him  and  welcomed 
him  into  the  presence  of  the  Savior  whose  power  to  cleanse 
and  to  keep  he  had  so  long  delighted  to  declare. 

"  The  news  ran  rapidly  over  the  wires  to  all  parts  of 
the  country.  It  startled  us  all.  No  one  could  scarcely 
believe  it  true.  (Some  of  us  cannot  feel  it  true  y&t.)  Tel- 
egrams of  condolence  began  at  once  to  pour  in  to  the 
bereft  faimly.     Many  wanted  to  come  to 

THE    FUNERAL, 

which  was  fixed  for  Friday  afternoon.  Had  the  time  not 
been  so  short  and  Mount  Pleasant  a  little  difficult  of  ac- 
cess, many  more  from  a  distance  would  have  reached  it. 
But  as  it  was,  a  number  did  arrive.  And  the  whole  home 
connnunity,  and  from  miles  around  turned  out  en  masse. 
The  large  meeting  house,  which  seats  probably  l,r)00  per- 
sons, was  brought  into  requisition  for  the  occasion.  Youn% 
and  old,  rich  and  poor,  saint  and  sinner,  everybody,  nib' 
spective  of  denominational  affiliation,  was  there,  mourn- 
ing as  one  great  family.  The  services,  conducted  by 
Brother  Hussey,  were  fittingly  characteristic  of  the  de- 
parted. Grief,  it  is  true,  could  not  be  suppressed.  Yet  a 
spirit  of  praise  and  song  pervaded  all  the  exercises.  Script 
ure  was  read  by  Rev.  Hussey,  followed  by  prayer,  offered 
by  Rev.  Joseph  H.  Smith.  After  singing.  Dr.  Dougan 
Clark  preached  from  II.  Kings  2:12.    Then  the  meeting 


260  MEMOIR  OF  DA  VID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

was  opened  for  other  ministers, — Brother  Pringle,  Pres- 
byterian pastor;  Brother  Hussey,  Quaker  minister;  Brother 
Smith,  Methodist,  and  others  participating  until  time  had 
expired;  but  with  many  more  full  hearts  eager  to  pour 
out  their  grateful  tributes.  A  vast  concourse  of  people 
passed  slowly  by  the  casket,  to  take  a  farewell  look  at  our 
brother.  During  this  mournful  procession  all  who  could, 
sang, 

'  God  be  with  you  till  we  meet  again.' 

Then  the  funeral  train  moved  on  to  the  family  burjnng 
ground,  a  mile  distant,  when  the  last  good-bye  was  taken. 
The  scene  here  was  beautiful  and  touching.  The  six  sons 
(including  two  sons-in-law)  carried  the  body  to  the  grave. 
As  it  rested  there,  each  of  the  four  daughters  dropped  a 
rose  upon  the  casket  as  a  farewell  tribute  to  their  loved 
and  loving  father.  Brother  Clarke  spoke  a  few  words, 
assuring  the  family  that  their  loved  one  was  not  there  ; 
only  his  house  of  clay  would  be  lowered.  He  was  above 
us.  A  final  benediction,  and  we  turned  our  backs  to  face 
now  a  world  which  would  e\'er  seem  lonelier  because 
Brother  Updegraff  had  left  it. 

*'  But  aflfection  and  gratitude  still  lingered,  so  that  it 
seemed  to  be  the  universal  wish  and  judgment  that  the 
writer  should  tarry  over  the  coming  Sabbath  and  conduct 

A   MEMORIAL   SERVICE. 

"  This  we  consented  to  do.  It  was  decided  right  and 
most  fitting  to  hold  this  ser\nce  in  the  Friends'  new  church 
at  Mount  Pleasant,  which  he  had  dedicated  and  over  which 
he  himself  had  been  the  shepherd  so  long.  The  day  was 
beautiful.  Seemed  as  though  some  of  the  sunshine  of 
heaven  had  been  lent  us  to  make  us  glad  in  our  grief. 


A  FINISHED  COURSE.  261 

There  were  crowded  into  the  church  a  hundred  more  per- 
sons than  they  thought  it  could  hold.  A  quiet  atmos- 
phere of  love  and  joy  and  praise  filled  the  place,  and  yet 
a  tincture  of  sadness  and  sorrow  throughout  it  all.  There 
was  no  dark  emblem  of  mourning.  The  departed  preach- 
er's chair  was  literally  covered  with  beautiful  flowers  and 
draped  with  white  satin  ribbon.  On  it  were  placed  a 
bound  volume  of  the  Friends'  Expositor,  a  copy  of 
his  book  on  the  Ordinances,  and  a  copy  of  Old  Corn,  Upon 
this  all  was  placed  his  own  Bible,  which  he  had  carried 
everywhere,  which  was  marked  upon  almost  every  page, 
and  yet  which  he  had  kept  in  such  a  careful  state  of  pres- 
ervation. 

"  Theplatform  was  filled  with  preachers.  The  people 
sang,  not  doleful  hymns,  but  such  songs  of  praise  as  Da- 
vid loved  so  well:  *  Arise,  my  Soul,'  'O,  'T  was  Love,' 
'  We  Shall  Meet;'  etc.  Just  before  the  sermon  his  own 
children,  whose  gifts  of  song  he  had  so  much  enjoyed, 
joined  togetlier  in  singing  a  favorite  selection.  Many 
wanted  to  speak.  But  it  had  been  expected  and  announced 
that  the  writer  would  preach  a  sermon,  which  he  did,  from 
the  text,  '  I  have  finished  ni}^  course' 

"  The  presence  and  power  of  the  Spirit  were  mightily 
felt.  In  fact,  sometimes  we  could  scarce  resist  the  feeling 
that  Brother  UpdegrafF's  spirit  was  also  there.  After  the 
sermon  and  the  reading  of  some  of  tlie  many  letters  and 
telegrams  which  had  been  received,  and  seeing  that  many 
could  not  speak,  we  called  for  a  living  memorial,  and 
asked  the  people  upon  reflection  to  deliberately  answer 
the  following  question  :  How  many  of  you  are  conscious 
that  you  are  better  men  and  women  because  David  Up- 
degraff  has  lived?     A  moment's  prayerful  silence,  and 


262  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

then  fully  four-fifths  of  the  vast  congregatiou  rose  to  their 
feet.     What  a  moment  !     We  sang, 

'  God  be  with  you  till  we  meet  again.' 

"And  then  hundreds  wended  their  way  homeward,  feel- 
ing that  his  death  had  dropped  an  additional  responsibil- 
ity upon  us  all  to  live  more  earnestly,  and  each  take  up 
our  share  of  the  work  he  had  begun. 

TELEGRAMvS  AND  LETTERS  OF  CONDOLENCE. 

Tliese  came  from  all  i)arts  of  the  country.  We  intro- 
duce but  a  few  of  them. 

"  KoKOMO,  Ind. 
"  Inexpressible  sympathy.     Bereaved  with  you.     Read 
II.  Sam.  o:  38.  Esther  Tuttle  Pritchard." 

(Friends'  Minister.) 

"  New  York. 
"Mrs.  D.  B.  UrDEGRAFE. — New  York  Yearly  Meeting 
assembled.     Sends  love  and  sympathy.      Read    Num.  (5: 
24,  2o,  26.  Charles  Jones,  Clerk." 

'*San  Fracisco,  Cal. 
"Mrs.     1).     B.    Updegraff. —  vSufFering    with    you. 
I.Thess.  4:  14-18.  R.  Kelso  Carter." 

' '  Knoxville,  Iowa. 
•'Mrs.    E.    J.    Updegraff. — II.    Kings   2:    12.     My 
heart  bleeds.    .Can't  reach  you.        E.  F.  Walker." 

(Presley terian  Evangelist.) 

•'  New  Castle,  Ind. 
"  Mrs.  v..  J.  TTpDEGRAFF. — This  breaks  my  heart.     1 
will  come  to  the  funeral.  Joseph  H.  Smith." 

(Methodist  Evangelist.) 


A  FINISHED  COURSE.  263 

'*  Dear  SisTER.—Just  as  I  was  to  mail  this  (a  letter  to 
David)  thy  card  and  other  letters  reached  us,  giving  us 
the  word  that  David  is  no  more.  How  it  affects  me! 
He  has  gone  on  before!  The  Lord  comfort  and  bless 
you!  I  have  been  very  near  the  Golden  Gate  the  past 
winter,  but  am  revived  again.  Our  heartfelt  sympathy 
goes  over  the  mountains  and  rivers  to  you. 

"  Your  brother,  J.  H.  Douglas." 

(Friends'  Minister  and  Evangelist.) 

"  Providence,  R.  I. 
*' Our  hearts  are  broken!  We  weep  with  you.  Your 
dear  David  was  to  us  what  no  other  living  man  has  been. 
So  good,  so  true,  so  noble,  such  a  tower  of  strength  was 
he!  Our  sorrow  is  unutterable.  God  bless  you,  dear 
Sister.  Words  seem  so  powerless  as  we  attempt  to  offer 
comfort.  Our  church  has  lost  her  greatest  preacher, 
teacher,  and  leader.  God  help  us  to  bear  it !  O  !  the 
host  of  his  converts  who  met  him  at  the  gate  !  While 
thousands  here  sorrow  over  his  departure,  all  the  galleries 
of  heaven  sh(Mit  for  joy,  and  every  celestial  harper  struck 
his  harp  anew  over  his  triumphal  entry  into  the  City  of 
Gold.     Yours  in  sorrow. 

"  Seth  C.  and  Huldah  Rees." 

(Friends'  Ministers.) 

"The  news  of  David's  death  was  a  great  shock  to  us. 
While  aware  he  was  in  poor  health,  we  did  not  know  he 
was  dangerously  ill. 

"  David  was  to  me  more  than  a  Christian  brother;  he 
was  a  '  true  yoke-fellow,'  but  he  has  reached  the  goal 
first.  '  Blessed  are  the  dead  who  die  in  the  Lord.'  With 
deepest  sympathy,  thy  sincere  friend, 

''Luke  Woodarp." 
(Friends'  Minister.) 


264  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

"  Philadelphia. 

"  My  Beloved  Friends. — Th}*  last  letter  had  scarcely 
been  received  an  hour,  creating  grave  concern,  though 
still  leaving  me  with  hope,  when  the  sad  telegram  re- 
vealed the  latest  report !  It  came  as  a  shock !  I  was  not 
prepared  for  it.  But  soon  came  the  consciousness  of  the 
glorious  exchange  from  that  bed  of  suffering  to  a  man- 
sion of  eternal  rest.  And  heart-aching  as  was  my  sor- 
row, how  could  I  forbear  to  rejoice  in  the  deliverance  of 
my  dear  brother"*  Planted  in  the  temple  of  his  God,  to 
go  out  no  more  forever!  Were  our  dear  Lord  less  loving 
or  less  faithful  or  less  wise,  I  should  fear  to  contemplate 
your  loss,  but  I  feel  sure  you  are  realizing  the  strength 
of  His  everlasting  arm.  Yes,  and  will  continue  to  feel  it 
through  coming  loneliness. 

"  Dear  Lidie,  may  he  be  favored  to  rest  in  His  loving 
presence  as  a  child  on  its  mother's  breast,  '  as  one  whom 
his  mother  comforteth.' 

"  I  perhaps  ought  not  to  write  of  my  own  loss  in  the 
presence  of  your  inexpressible  bereavement,  yet  mine  is 
great  indeed.  He  w^as  brother  and  counselor  to  me,  and 
I  cannot  describe  the  blank  I  shall  feel. 

"  But  I  will  not  weary  you.  I  should  be  so  comforted 
if  I  could  be  with  you  to-morrow!  Feeling  thankful  in 
being  able  to  commend  you  to  a  sure  hiding-place,  in 
this  grievous  affliction,  and  in  knowing  that  His  presence 
is  there,  I  am  most  lovingly  yours, 

"E.  H.  Farnum." 

"  Philadelphia. 
"Never  was  I   more  surprised  than  when  I   received 
your  telegram  announcing  the  death  of  your  beloved  hus- 


A  FINISHED  COURSE  265 

band.  I  know  he  has  been  a  very  sick  man,  but  the  last 
news  I  had  I  considered  so  full  of  encouragement  that  I 
wrote  an  article  for  the  Standard  telling  our  friends  that 
I  fully  expected  Brother  Updegraff  at  Mountain  Lake 
Park.  This  is  such  a  shock  that  I  scarcely  know  how  or 
what  to  write.  You  will  sorrow,  but  you  will  not  sorrow 
as  one  having  no  hope.  Brother  Updegraff  is  in  heaven. 
With  him  the  battle  has  been  fought  and  the  victory 
gained.  He  rests  from  his  labors,  and  his  works  do  fol- 
low him.     He  being  dead,  j^et  speaketh. 

"I  yearn  to  attend  the  funeral,  and  see  my  beloved 
brother  laid  away  in  the  resting-place  prepared  for  his 
mortal  remains,  but  the  spirit  has  a  more  abiding  rest. 
You  |have  lost  a  good  husband,  the  children  have  lost  a 
good  father,  the  church  has  lost  a  faithful  minister  of 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  I  have  lost  a  faithful  and  beloved 
friend.  I  never  can  tell  anyone  how  much  I  shall  miss 
him,  but  I  shall  soon  go  and  meet  him.  May  the  good 
Lord  graciousi}^  sustain  you  in  your  sorrow.  You  know 
from  whence  your  help  cometh. 

"John  Thompson." 
(Methodist  Minister.) 

"BORDENTOWN,  N.  J. 

"Mrs.  David  Updegraff. — We  are  overwhelmed 
with  sorrow  at  the  death  of  our  dear  brother  in  Christ — 
your  precious  husband. 

"With  you  and  your  dear  children,  Pitman  Grove  As- 
sociation is  greatly  bereaved.  How  we  shall  miss  him, 
and  how  strange  it  will  seem  not  to  see  his  smiling  face 
and  hear  his  strong  appeals  !  He  was  a  great  and  good 
man  of  God,  and  a  great  power  for  good.  We  tender  you 
18 


266  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

our  warmest  sympathies  and  pray  that  the  God  of  the 
widow  will  be  rich  in  His  grace  toward  you  all. 
' '  Yours  in  Christ, 

"A.  E.  Ballard,  Pres't, 
"W.  Walton,  Sec'y." 

"  My  Very  Dear  Friend. — I  can  scarcely  trust  my- 
self to  write  even  these  few  lines.  I  am  greatly  afflicted. 
Your  sorrow  is,  in  a  very  peculiar  sense,  ni}^  sorrow  and 
the  sorrow  of  thousands  to  whom  your  precious  husband 
was  made  a  benediction. 

"  One  event  in  his  life  brought  him  very  near  to  me, 
and  enshrines  his  memory  forever  in  my  heart.  My  fel- 
lowship with  him  all  these  years  has  been  without  a  break, 
and  my  love  for  him  has  been  increasing  as  my  knowl- 
edge of  him  and  his  experience  has  been  enlarged.  What 
a  blessing  he  has  been  to  me  and  my  people  in  his  min- 
istry, only  eternity  will  unfold. 

"  Precious  brother!  The  church  can  illy  afford  to  lose 
thee,  but  thy  ministry  will  not  end  with  thy  earthly  life. 
That  service,  unfettered  and  glorious,  with  more  perfect 
knowledge  and  enlarged  powers,  will  be  continued  before 
the  throne  of  God  and  the  Lamb.  And  there  we  shall 
meet  thee  and  greet  thee,  in  God's  own  good  time.  Please 
accept  the  expression  of  my  sincere  sympathy  and  pray- 
ers, in  which  I  would  include  thy  household.  May  the 
dear  Lord  sustain  and  comfort  thee ! 
' '  Yours  in  holy  fellowship, 

**  Edgar  M.  Levy." 
(Baptist  Minister.) 

"Dear  Mrs.  Updegraff. — With  great  .surprise  and 
deepest  grief  have  we  heard  of  the  fatal  termination  of 
dear  David's  illness.     It  seems  like  a  cruel  dream,  and  I 


A  FINISHED  COURSE.  267 

cannot  realize  that  it  is  indeed  a  fact  that  no  more  on  this 
side  of  the  golden  pavement  shall  mine  eyes  behold  that 
saint  of  God.  Long  ere  this  reaches  you,  many,  very 
many  expressions  of  deepest  sympathy  will  have  come  to 
vou;  but  not  many  outside  his  own  precious  family  ap- 
preciated his  worth  as  have  my  dear  wife  and  myself.  I 
expect  to  be  a  better  man,  and  through  grace  to  attain  a 
higher  place  in  heaven  through  his  blessed  teachings. 

"  How  can  I  but  dread  to  thread  the  walks  at  dear 
Mountain  Lake  Park,  without  the  expectation  of  looking 
into  his  face ! 

"  God  bless  and  uphold  you  in  this  great  stroke  is  the 
prayer  of  thousands,  and  of 

"  Your  very  sincere  friend,  A.  W.  Dennett.' 

"  Newark,  N.  J. 

"My  Dear  Mrs.  Updegraff.  —  Among  the  many 
who  have  sent  you  loving  remembrance  of  your  dear 
husband,  please  give  me  a  humble  place. 

''  I  do  so  mourn  his  departure.  I  w^as  making  my  plans 
to  go  to  Pitman  Grove  this  summer,  there  to  fill  my  eyes 
and  soul  once  more  wath  the  sights  and  emotions  of  that 
blessed  hour  when  I  yielded  myself  to  God,  and  to  sit  for 
a  day  or  two  at  the  feet  of  that  God-taught  man.  I  shall 
never  hear  his  voice  again,  but  deep  within  my  soul  its 
memory  will  always  ring.  But  I  have  not  missed  the 
blessing;  I  have  felt  so  alone  and  bereft  that  I  had  to  get 
down  lower  at  the  Master's  feet  than  ever  before,  and  I 
do  know,  and  the  effects  are  visible,  that  I  have  received 
a  greater  portion  of  his  faith  and  power.  God  bless  you 
all.  E.  O.  McFarland." 

(Presbyterian  Minister. ) 


268  MEMOIR  OF  DA  VID  B,  UPDEGRAFF. 

"Warren,  Ohio. 
"  Dear  Sister  Updegraff  and  Family.  —  My  own 
heart  aches  with  thousands  of  others,  as  I  mourn  the  per- 
sonal loss  of  him  on  whom  you  leaned,  and  who  was  be- 
loved by  us  all.  A  prince  is  crowned  !  Though  in  tears, 
you  also  shall  triumph.  The  dear  Lord  knows  why. 
Let  us  trust  and  finish  our  work  in  the  fullness  of  that 
grace  which  is  more  than  sufficient.  God  bless  you  all. 
"In  sympathy  and  prayers, 

"George  F,  Oliver." 
(Methodist  Minister.) 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

OTHER    MKMORIALvS    AND    LOVING   TRIBUTES. 

WE  have  been  urged  to  publish  either  in  this  book,  or 
in  separate  form,  the  memorial  sermon  preached 
upon  this  occasion  by  the  writer  of  these  lines.  But  as 
we  review  the  sermon,  and  review  the  contents  of  this 
book,  we  find  that  the  latter  is  very  much  of  an  unfold- 
ing of  the  former,  and  to  repeat  the  sermon  here  would, 
we  think,  be  unprofitable,  and,  perhaps,  wearisome  rep- 
etition to  the  reader.  So  we  have  elected  instead,  to  pub- 
lish in  full  the  able  and  fitting  editorial  written  for  the 
Christian  Standard,  and  published  in  that  paper  June  7, 
1894. 

IN    MKMORIAM:    DAVID    B.  UPDKGRAFF. 
BY   REV.  E.  I.  D.  PEPPER. 

"Since  the  decea.se  of  that  mighty  man  of  God,  that 
inspired  and  in.spiring  preacher,  that  thrilling  exhorter, 
-that  'son  of  thunder,'  that  many-sided  spiritual  genius, 
that  God-commissioned  leader  of  the  hosts  of  the  Eord, 
John  S.  Inskip,  no  man's  departure  from  this  life  could 
l)e  more  deeply  and  lastingly  felt  in  the  world-wide  holi- 
ness movement,  than  that  of  David  B.  Updegraff. 

"His  position  was  peculiar  and  influential.  For  many 
years  he  has  been  an  honored  minister  in  the  Society  of 

(269  j 


270  MEMOIR  OF  DA  VID  B.  VPDEGRAFF. 

Friends,  yet  he  belonged  by  common  consent  to  all  de- 
nominations. He  was  a  thorough  American,  yet  by  his 
broad  views  and  sympathies  he  belonged  to  all  countries. 
He  was  an  'ecclesiastic,'  yet  he  was  also  a  '  man  of  af- 
fairs '  in  the  best  meaning  of  that  sentence.  He  was  a 
rigid  and  loyal  churchman,  3^et  he  was  tolerant,  liberal, 
and  all-comprehensive  in  his  pure  and  perfect  love  for  all 
God's  people.  He  was  catholic  and  cosmopolitan.  All 
claimed  him.  He  cordially  allowed  the  claim.  He  ad- 
mirably fulfilled  the  claim.  He  respected  all  Scripturally- 
instituted  religious  forms,  without  degenerating  into  a 
mere  ritualist  and  legalist.  He  insisted  upon  law  and  or- 
der, yet  he  was  '  in  bondage  to  no  man.'  He  listened  re- 
spectfully to  those  who  '  seemed  to  be  somewhat '  in  the 
church,  but  whatsoever  they  were,  it  made  no  matter  to 
him,  he  sided  with  God  in  '  accepting  no  man's  person,' 
but  rather,  if  in  conference  these  '  somewhats  '  added 
nothing  to  him,  and  if  God  revealed  His  Son  in  him, 
touching  any  point,  *  immediately  he  conferred  not  with 
flesh  and  blood,'  but  resolutely  followed  on  to  know  the 
I^ord  and  to  finish  His  will  and  word  and  work. 

"  No  bishop  or  superintendent  in  any  branch  of  the 
Christian  church  stood  out,  by  the  very  force  of  events 
and  of  'manifest  destiny,'  more  prominently  and  pervas- 
ively than  did  he.  He  was  a  '  bishop  of  souls '  in  an 
unusual  and  conspicuous  degree.  He  was  '  something 
new  under  the  sun,'  a  Quaker  bishop — not  set  apart  '  by 
the  laying  on  of  hands,'  but  '  by  the  fingers  of  God ' — • 
not  consecrated  by  *  holy  oil,'  but  by  the  evident  '  unction 
of  the  Holy  One  ' — not  man-made,  but  God-made — not 
a  sprout  from  some  council,  but  'chosen  of  God,'  com- 
missioned by  Christ,  and  inspired  by  the  Holy  Ghost — 
not  the  upshot  of  ministerial  politics  and  churchly  *  deals,' 


MEMORIALS  AND  LOVING  TRIBUTES.        271 

but  the  forthcoming  of  that  promotion  that  came  neither 
from  the  east,  west,  north  or  south,  but  which  was  the 
evident  ordering  of  the  Lord,  who,  in  His  own  good  wis- 
dom and  judgment,  will  and  pleasure,  time  and  way, 
setteth  up  one  and  putteth  down  another— not  machine- 
made  and  wire-worked  was  he,  but  providentially  evolved 
—not  the  choice  of  some  caucus,  but  the  glad  response  to 
a  divine  call— not  in  the  apostolical  succession  'by  the 
casting  of  a  lot,'  but,  like  David  of  old,  selected  by  heaven 
from  among  his  brethren  while  yet  tending  his  flock— not 
the  successful  candidate  of  a  lot  of  personal  accommoda- 
tions, but  the  inevilal)le  outgrowth  of  imperative  necessi- 
ties in  the  kingdom  of  God— not  the  elect  of  questionable 
human  expedients,  but  the  calm  and  modest,  grateful  and 
reverent,  amazed  yet  obedient,  acceptor  of  the  developing 
divine  will  and  order. 

"As  a  man  and  minister,  his  massive  brain;  his  clear, 
coherent,  comprehensive  ecclesiastical  and  religious  views; 
his  orthodox  theology;  his  Christlike  creed;  his  correct, 
lucid,  and  cogent  scriptural  expositions;  his  masterly  and 
eftective  pulpit  eloquence;  his  quick  perceptions  on  all 
points;  his  deep  spiritual  discernment ;  his  singularly  in- 
tuitive insight  into  all  phases  of  human  nature  ;  his  mas- 
terly handling  of  masses  of  people ;  his  born  leadership; 
his  carefully  used  power  to  place  and  work  others  while 
he  worked  in  and  through  and  with  them  in  admirable 
fellowship;  his  indomitable  will;  his  dauntless  courage ; 
his  patient  endurance  of  the  inevitable  ;  his  hopeful  spirit; 
his  tireless  activity  ;  his  deep  piety  ;  his  long  experience ; 
his  wide,  careful,  accurate  observation  ;  his  personal  mag- 
netism that  drew  to  him  and  clinched  to  his  heart  and  help 
the  most  devoted  of  God's  ministers  and  saints;  his  power 
to  re-organize  victory  even  out  of  seeming  or  actual  de- 


272  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.  UPDEGRAPF. 

feat ;  his  (Napoleonic)  *  oblivion  to  the  fact  that  he  ever 
was  beaten  in  any  battle  '  of  the  Lord  ;  his  steadfast  love 
for  his  friends,  Christlike  compassion  for  his  bitterest  en- 
emies, and  ability  to  transform  foes  into  friends;  his  unity 
of  purpose  and  life  ;  his  single-eyedness  to  the  glory  of 
God  ;  his  whole-souled  humanness  and  humaneness;  his 
gracious  condescension  to  men  of  low  estate ;  his  com- 
panionable ways  with  all ;  his  ready  access  and  graceful 
bearing  among  all  classes  of  society;  his  persistent  per- 
sonal appeals,  under  all  circumstances  and  in  all  places, 
to  saints  and  sinners,  in  all  grades  of  religious  or  irrelig- 
ious experience;  his  captivating  power  of  '  buttonholing  ' 
entire  strangers  in  the  cars  or  streets  or  anywhere,  and 
making  them  listen  to  his  warnings  and  exhortations  and 
invitations ;  his  fearless  and  faithful  dealings  with  indi- 
vidual sins  and  sinners;  his  courageous  calling  things  by 
their  right  names;  his  uncompromising  yet  tender  per- 
suasions by  the  terrors  of  the  Lord  ;  his  ease  and  ingenu- 
ity and  thoroughness  in  managing  social  and  religious 
meetings;  his  sanctified  judgment  and  common-sense; 
his  sparkling  and  instructive  wit ;  his  natural,  universal, 
unfailing  politeness  and  good  humor  and  good  manners 
under  the  most  trying  emergencies;  his  ringing  and  con- 
tagious laughter,  that  usually  carried  wdth  it  a  penetrative 
point  and  '  a  most  palpable  hit ; '  his  gift  of  observing, 
gathering,  remembering,  imagining  and  utilizing  in  the 
pulpit  and  elsewhere,  so  many  incisive,  convincing,  con- 
victing, comforting,  saving  illustrations  and  incidents ; 
his  readiness  in  the  use  of  silencing,  if  not  converting, 
repartee — all  these,  and  no  doubt  more,  qualified  him  pre- 
eminently to  stand  in  the  very  fore-front  of  the  cause  of 
religion  and  especially  of  entire  sanctification. 

*'He  believed  enthusiastically  in  the  Millennium.     If 


MEMORIALS  AND  LOVING  TRIBUTES.        273 

anybody  ever  felt  like  charging  him  in  this  connection 
with  '  pessimism '  concerning  current  history,  all  will 
agree  that  he  was  the  most  optimistic  pessimist  in  heart 
and  hope  and  cheer  that  ever  was  born.  His  whole 
sanctified  life  and  ministry  was  spent  in  creating,  as  far 
as  he  could,  a  spiritual  millennium  around  and  within 
himself  and  others.  He  believed  that  one  preparation 
for  the  millennium  was  the  '  preaching  of  the  Gospel  to 
every  creature,'  and,  so  believing,  he  traveled  rapidly, 
far  and  near,  submitting  cheerfully  to  long  absences,  with 
manifold  discomforts,  from  the  home  he  loved  so  well, 
trying  to  preach  to  as  many  as  possible  before  he  was 
called  hence. 

"He  preached  a  whole  Gospel.  He  did  not  preach 
baptized  morality,  but  he  preached  a  crucified  and  risen 
Christ  with  a  pathos,  power,  and  persuasiveness  seldom 
excelled.  He  spurned  the  intimation  that  either  regen- 
eration or  entire  sanctification  was  merely  tantamount  to 
common  honesty,  to  adhering  to  truth,  to  paying  one's 
debts,  to  giving  good  measure,  and  all  such-like  twaddle. 
Those  accustomed  to  hear  him,  well  remember  his  fre- 
quent arraignments  of  the  '  Old  Man '  of  inbred  sin,  and 
how  that  discomforted  embodiment  of  carnality  would 
sneak  away  out  of  souls  whom  he  had  long  fast  bound, 
as  this  good  hater  of  that  '  Old  Man '  lashed  his  back 
with  a  stinging  threefold  cord  of  logic,  law,  and  Gospel. 
He  preached  penitence,  pardon,  purity,  and  perfect  love. 
He  enjoyed  salvation  hi  himself  and  in  others,  but  he 
heartily  despised  shows,  shams,  and  shallowness.  His 
ministry  dived  into  the  deep  things  of  God  and  into  the 
deep  things  of  religion.  He  believed  in  the  Holy  Ghost, 
and,  so  believing,  spake  with  the  Holy  Ghost  sent  down 
from  heaven. 


274  MEMOIR  OF  DA  VID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

"His  home  life  (so  we  have  learned  from  those  who 
have  spent  long  seasons  under  his  roof,  around  his  hos- 
pitable table,  and  near  his  fireside)  was  charming  in  its 
great-hearted  love;  in  its  exquisite  tenderness;  in  its 
thoughtful  considerateness;  in  its  manifold  delightful 
manifestations  towards  all;  in  its  quick  anticipation  and 
supply,  not  only  of  need,  but  also  of  comfort;  in  its  boun- 
tiful entertainment;  in  its  admirable  simplicity;  in  its 
childlike  '  hilarion '  (a  Scriptural  word) ;  in  its  confiding 
*  abandon  ; '  in  its  Quaker-like,  '  ^^early-meeting  '  accom- 
modativeness;  in  its  interdenomhiational  and  international 
catholicity;  and  in  its  holy  atmosphere. 

"  He  was  most  respected  and  admired  and  loved  in  his 
own  yearly  meeting,  in  the  *  meeting-house '  where  he 
was  long  pastor,  in  the  town  and  \acinity  where  he  lived, 
and  in  his  own  family.  In  that  quiet  western  home, 
where  every  room  and  every  object  revive  precious  mem- 
ories of  the  love  and  labor  of  this  departed  husband  and 
father,  are  bleeding  hearts  that  thrill  to  these  words  as 
they  read  them  dimly  through  their  tears.  His  influence 
was  greatest  among  those  who  knew  him  best.  His 
word  to  them  was  'the  perfect  law  of  liberty.'  He 
swayed  l)y  the  law  of  love.  He  was  tolerant  even  to  in- 
dulgence, 3'et  he  easily  molded  public  and  social,  political 
and  ecclesiastical,  family  and  private  opinion. 

"He  was  the  nearest  of  any  man  we  have  known,  in 
very  many  points  of  likeness,  to  our  well-beloved  and 
still-lamented  John  S.  Inskip.  Copy  anything  in  Inskip? 
Never !  He  was  too  truly  great  to  copy  anything  in 
anybody.  He  originated — not  imitated.  He  led — not 
followed.  He  set  copy  for  others,  but  copied  none. 
Yet,  ever  and  anon,  suddenly,  unexpectedly,  on  some 
occasion  great  or  small,  a  look,  a  word,  a  gesture,  some 


MEMORIALS  AND  LOVING  TRIBUTES.       275 

skillful  tactics,  some  victorious  flank  movement  would 
remind  us  of  Inskip.  Like  Inskip,  he  was  a  natural 
camp-meeting  general.  Quick  in  response,  profitable  in 
suggestion,  apt  in  giving  much-needed  help,  and  admir- 
able in  getting  souls  to  God. 

"Once,  in  writing  the  report  of  a  camp-meeting  at 
Mountain  Lake  Park,  we  had  occasion  to  allude  to 
Brother  Updegraff  at  some  length.  As  we  were  quietly 
admiring  this  royal  man  and  manager,  the  expression, 

"  '  Our  King  David  ' 

Flashed  into  our  thought.  We  penned  it  lovingly,  and 
we  believe  truthfully,  at  that  time.  We  do  not  retract  it. 
We  re-affirm  it  with  even  greater  loyalty  to  our  great 
and  good  leader.  The  original  King  David  never  de- 
served loyalty  better  than  he.  King  David's  claims  were 
by  birthright.  'Our  King  David's'  claims  were  by  his 
peculiar  personality,  his  royal  priesthood,  his  holy  char- 
acter, his  'natural  force,'  which  never  'abated'  till  his 
dying  day. 

"  Do  you  say,  '  You  have  written  strongly?*  We  could 
not  help  it.  Let  him  that  can,  and  is  disposed,  go  back 
over  all  we  have  written  and  quibble  over  what  should  be 
left  out.  We  have  no  heart  just  now  for  mincing  our 
words  or  curbing  our  flying  pen.  Did  everybody  regard 
and  respect,  admire  and  love  this  man  as  w^e  did  ?  Of 
course  not.  Will  everybody  accord  with  every  part  of 
this  editorial?  That  is  not  what  we  are  writing  it  for. 
This  memorial  paper  is  our  love-tribute  laid  on  his  grave, 
while  those  who  think  and  feel  as  we  do  look  reverently 
on.  Some  such  are  even  now  thinking  over  more  things 
that  they  would  gladly  have  added  hereto.  Could  such 
a  masterlv  man  and  minister  and  leader  by  any  possibil- 


276  MEMOIR  OF  DA  VID  B.  UPDECRAFF. 

ity  incur  the  '  woe '  pronounced  on  them  of  whom  all 
speak  well  ?  God  forbid  !  Bigotry  could  not  abide  such 
a  spirit  as  his.  Superficiality  was  plowed  under  by  his 
subsoil  preaching.  Sham  and  show  resented  his  vivid 
exposures.  Old  and  decayed  ecclesiasticisms  tottered  at 
his  touch.  Fossilized  church  dignitaries  were  discom- 
forted by  this  live  man  and  wished  him  under  guard,  at 
a  safe  distance,  if  not  under  the  sod.  Hypocrites  of  all 
shapes  and  sizes  hid  their  heads  from  him,  and  hated 
him,  no  doubt,  in  their  hearts.  Judaism  that  was  out- 
ward and  in  the  letter,  and  not  inward  and  in  the  Spirit, 
could  not  brook  this  iconoclastic  hand  that  tore  away  its 
veils,  millinery,  traditions,  antecedents,  superstitions,  and 
Ral:>binisms.  '  The  world  will  love  its  own.'  So  will  the 
living  church  of  the  living  God.  He  never  coveted  a 
'  mutual  admiration  society '  with  those  whose  praise  is 
l)lame.  He  sought  rather  '  a  conscience  void  of  offen.se 
toward  God  and  toward  man.'     We  believe  he  had  it. 

"  '  Truly  a  prince  and  a  great  man  has  fallen  in  Israel.' 
Mourning  is  in  our  Zion;  but  faith  and  hope  and  holy  joy 
spring  from  the  dust.  '  God  buries  His  workmen,  but 
carries  on  His  work.'  'The  Lord  gave  and  the  Lord 
hath  taken  away:  blessed  be  the  name  of  the  I^ord.' 
Let  us  clo.se  up  the  ranks  and  *  go  forward.'     Amen  ! 

MEMORIAL  SERVICE.S   ELSEWHERE. 

The  first  of  these  was  held  early  in  June  at  Hutchin- 
son, Kan.sas. 

At  the  State  Holiness  Camp-Meeting  held  at  this  place 
Brother  Updegrafif  had  been  announced  as  one  of  the 
foremost  workers  for  this  .season.  Many  were  anticipat- 
ing his  coming  with  holy  expectation,  for  his  fame  had 
preceded  him.     The  Chief  Shepherd  had,  however,  or- 


MEMORIALS  AND  LOVING  TRIBUTES.        277 

dered  it  other \vise;  for  just  a  little  before  the  writer  was 
to  start  to  Kansas  to  conduct  another  meeting,  and  then 
join  David  at  Hutchinson,  the  telegram  came  announc- 
ing David's  ascension  to  join  the  hosts  triumphant  before 
the  throne.  The  brethren  in  Kansas  felt  that  the  occa- 
sion should  not  pass  l^y  without  a  suitable  Memorial 
Service,  which  was  dul}^  arranged  for,  and  conducted  on 
the  Friday  afternoon  of  the  camp.  Several  addresses 
were  delivered  by  brethren  who  knew  him  well,  and  had 
been  associated  with  him  in  the  Master's  work.  A  sin- 
gularly sweet  and  sacred  influence  of  commingled  sorroiv 
at  the  church's  loss  andy^Ty  at  the  victor's  triumph  per- 
vaded the  assembly.  A  tide  of  salvation  set  in  upon  that 
very  meeting.  A  brother  minister  was  led  out  into  the 
light  and  power  of  full  salvation.  A  number  of  other 
persons  were  likewise  blessed.  Indeed,  it  seemed  very 
much  like  a  meeting  in  which  his  own  personality  was 
felt,  and  as  though  he  were  actually  in  charge.  It  was 
not  a  funeral  occasion  by  any  means;  but  a  season  of  life 
and  power  and  glory. 

The  next  was  the  Memorial  Service  on  July  7th 
held  at 

MOUNTAIN    LAKE    PARK. 

Of  this  we  give  the  account  written  by  Mrs.  E.  E. 
Williams  for  the  Christiayi  Standard: 

' '  The  hour  appointed  for  thjs  service  found  gathered 
in  the  auditorium  the  largest  congregation  ever  seen  in 
this  place  upon  the  first  day  of  the  meeting.  Notwith- 
standing the  alleged  '  hard  times,'  and  the  fact  that  many 
of  our  western  friends  are  cut  off  from  us  because  of  the 
great  railroad  strike,  yet  the  Lord  has  sent  large  num- 
bers of  His  people  here,  many  of  whom  have  never  been 
here  before,  and  every  train  brings  an  increase  to  our 


278         MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.  UPDECRAFF- 

conipaii}'.  Large  V)Uiiches  of  the  beautiful  white  mount- 
ain laurel,  hanging-baskets  full  of  lovely  trailing  vines, 
begonias  in  full  bloom,  and  other  growing  plants,  turned 
the  pulpit,  platform,  and  sides  of  the  auditorium  into  a 
perfect  bower,  wdiile  the  lifelike  picture  of  him  in  whose 
honor  we  were  assembled,  smiled  loving  benedictions 
down  upon  us  from  above  the  pulpit  from  which  he  had 
so  faithfully  and  often  proclaimed  the  Gospel  of  full  sal- 
vation. Doctor  Gilmour  was  ready  with  his  choir,  and 
opened  the  service  by  singing  *  Wonderful  Love.'  The 
music  was  soft  and  subdued,  yet  wonderfully  sweet,  and 
nearly  every  face  in  the  audience  w^as  baptized  with  holy 
tears. 

"After  the  singing  Brother  Thompson  asked  me  to  lead 
in  the  opening  prayer,  in  which  I  was  led  to  thank  God 
for  the  precious  life  which  had  in  such  a  marvelous  way 
touched  and  blessed  so  many  other  lives,  and  to  express 
our  acquiescence  in  the  will  of  the  Father  in  this  our 
great  common  bereavement.  But  my  voice  was  full  of 
tears  I  know,  for,  as  Brother  Smith  expresses  it,  '  my 
heart  is  in  mourning.'  Mr.  Wesley  once  said  that  'the 
ties  of  grace  are  stronger  than  the  ties  of  nature,'  and  I 
know^  now  that  is  true. 

"Singing  Nos.  205  and  178. 

"After  a  few  remarks  from  Brother  Thompson,  Brother 
J.  H.  Smith  spoke  of  *c David  B.  Updegraff  as  we  knew 
him.'  He  dwelt,  not  upon  his  natural  qualifications  due 
to  heredity,  birth,  or  education,  but  of  his  gracious  en- 
dowments, W'hich  all  might  seek  to  obtain  and  emulate; 
of  the  graces  noticeable  in  him  as  a  true  minister  of  holi- 
ness; of  his  broad  catholicity  of  .soul  and  the  spirit  of  tol- 
erance for  which  he  was  so  noted.  Not  tolerance  of  error 
or  untruth,  for  these  he  would  hunt  do^\  n  with  tireless 


MEMORIALS  AND  LOVING  TRIBUTES.        279 

vigor;  not  tolerant  as  a  leader,  in  that  he  would  ever  let 
a  meeting  simply  drift,  but  quick  to  turn  the  tide  for  the 
glory  of  God  in  the  salvation  of  souls ;  not  tolerant  of 
sermons  which  aimed  only  at  beauty  of  diction  or  display 
of  rhetoric,  since  his  objective  jx)int  was  'souls'  not 
'  sermons ;  '  but  tolerant  in  the  sense  which  stamped  him 
a  true  Quaker,  even  while  in  marked  Scriptural  catholic- 
it}^  he  belonged  to  us  all,  as  a  true  preacher  of  righteous- 
ness, for  such,  indeed,  he  was  in  the  highest  sense  of  the 
term.  But  he  was  not  onl}'  bent  on  preaching  the  truth 
himself,  but  upon  getting  the  mouths  of  others  pried 
open.  He  was  possessed  of  a  special  genius  for  drawing 
out  testimony,  and  hundreds  are  now  preaching  the  Gos- 
pel who  would  never  have  thought  of  it  but  for  him. 
He  also  held  in  high  estimation  the  ministry  of  woman, 
not  only  in  the  Quaker  church,  but  in  the  Pentecostal 
church  of  God.  Women  who  were  called  to  preach  the 
Gospel  were  always  sure  of  a  full  share  of  recognition 
under  his  leadership,  for  he  was  deeply  convinced  of  the 
truth  that  '  in  Christ  Jesus  there  is  neither  male  nor 
female.' 

* '  The  speaker  dwelt  upon  the  systematic  closing  up  of 
the  life  work  of  our  beloved  brother,  which,  to  his  mind, 
evidenced  the  fact  that  he  knew  the  end  was  approach- 
ing, and  proposed  'setting- his  house  in  order,'  as  the 
only  work  of  preparation  for  death  which  w^as  necessary 
for  him  to  make,  and  then  burst  forth  in  tender  pathos : 
'  Oh,  I  cannot  realize  that  he  is  gone — can  you?'  I  catch 
myself  often  looking  toward  the  entrance  for  his  coming 
among  us.  I  long  to  feel  the  pressure  of  his  dear  arm 
around  me,  and  to  hear  him  say,  in  loving  tones,  as  he  .so 
often  did  in  other  days,  *  The  Lord  bless  thee,  Joseph! ' 
And  though  in  visible  form  he  will  mingle  with  us  here 


280  MEMOIR  OF  DA  VID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

no  more,  I  cannot  feel  that  he  is  very  far  away.  The 
holy  odor  of  his  presence  lingers  around  this  place, 
and  I  dare  to  believe  that  in  the  spirit  he  is  very  near 
us  now !  Oh,  David,  our  David,  our  King  David,  the 
inspiration  of  thy  life  can  never  pass  away!  Thou  art 
not  dead !  Such  men  as  thou  wast  can  never,  never  die. 
We  miss  thee,  and  love  thy  memory,  but  we  will  not 
pause  to  weep.  The  cause  of  holiness  so  dear  to  thy 
heart  demands  our  best  efforts.  With  a  shout  we  close 
up  ranks  and  press  forward  to  the  fra}- !  The  influence 
of  thy  life  and  teaching  shall  not  be  lost,  but  God  shall 
have  the  glory,  both  in  thee  and  in  us. 

"  As  Brother  Smith  ceased  speaking,  audible  sobs  could 
be  heard  all  over  the  auditorium.  All  heads  were  bowed 
and  all  hearts  bleeding  afresh  in  grief  over  our  great  loss. 
Sotne  moments  passed  before  the  hymn  announced  (No. 
228)  could  be  sung,  and  at  best  it  was  but  a  minor  strain, 
sung  in  broken  melody.  But  through  all  our  .sorrow  and 
tears,  in  the  sol^bing  sad-toned  chorus,  there  .still  rang  a 
chord  of  jubilation  as  we  seemed  to  catch  the  gleam  of  a 
beckoning  hand,  reached  over  the  ramparts  of  glory,  and 
the  echoes  of  a  well-beloved  voice  seemed  to  mingle  with 
our  own  as  we  .sang  the  familiar  words  together : 

*  Where  the  harps  of  augels  ring, 
And  the  blest  forever  sing, 
In  the  palace  of  the  King, 

Meet  me  there ; 
Where  in  sweet  communion  blend. 
Heart  with  heart  and  friend  with  friend. 
In  a  world  that  ne'er  shall  end, 

Meet  me  there.' 

"  Dr.  Dougan  Clark,  the  bosom  friend  and  companion 
in  labor  of  our  departed  leader,  now  rose  and  came  to 


MEMORIALS  AND  LOVING  TRIBUTES.        281 

the  front  of  the  platform,  but  some  seconds  passed  away 
before  he  could  command  his  voice  to  speak,  and  even 
then  it  was  in  broken  tones  and  with  streaming  ej^es. 
The  love  w^hich  existed  between    himself  and    Brother 
Updegraff  surpassed  the  love  of  brothers  in  the  flesh, 
and  he  feels  our  common  loss  too  deeply  for  words  to 
express.     He  spoke  of  their  connection  together  as  *  the 
real  scriptural  divine  union,  wdiich  can  only  be  spiritually 
discerned  or  understood,'  and  referred  to  my  quotation 
from  Mr.  Wesley  concerning  *  the  ties  of  grace  being 
stronger  than  the  ties  of  nature  '  as  a  positive  truth,  even 
though  worldlings  could  not  understand  it.    He  declared 
that  no  other  grief  or  loss  which  had  ever  come  to  him 
in  life  had  ever  affected   him  like  this,  and  said,  that 
though  there  was  no  rebellion  in  his  heart  against  the 
will  of  God,  yet  he  found  it  impossible  to  restrain  the 
tears  or  refrain  from  weeping  when  he  thought  of  his 
great  loss.     He  then  spoke  of  the  ancestry  of  '  Our  Da- 
vid,' of  his  mother  and  grandmother,  both  ministers  of 
the  Gospel,  and  said,   'The  training, of  this  remarkable 
man  began  a  hundred  years  before  he  was  born.     His 
mother  w^as  a  remarkable  woman,  away  ahead  of  the  age 
in  which  she  lived,  and  had  to  endure  much  from  those 
who  did  not  understand  her.     But  she  bore  it  all  bravely, 
and  transmitted  to  her  son  much  of  her  own  natural  pow- 
ers of  endurance.   David  w^as  also  born  wath  a  strong  body. 
His  w^as  a  marvelous  physique — perfect  in  foundation  and 
manly   development.     Oh,   it  seems  so  strange  that  he 
should  go  before  me  !     But  he  died  of  hard  work,  not  of 
old  age.    And  the  post-mortem  examination  showed  that 
he  had  been  dying  for  years.     He  must  have  suffered 
greatly,   but  he  never  stopped  for   that.     Think  of  his 
prodigious  labors,  his  journeys  to  and  fro,  his  mental  toil, 
19 


282  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

as  with  pen  and  tongue  he  hunted  error,  ecclesiasticism 
and  legality  to  the  death,  preaching  always,  with  resist- 
less power,  the  Gospel  of  salvation,  and  pursuing  with 
tireless  vigor  his  ardent  quest  for  souls  !  Think  of  how, 
being  ordered  to  California  by  his  physicians  to  take  rest, 
he  rested  by  preaching  sixty  sermons  in  forty  days  !  Oh, 
if  I  could  preach  the  Gospel  for  fifty  years  and  accom- 
plish as  much  as  he  did  in  twenty-five  years,  I  would  feel 
that  truly  I  had  not  lived  in  vain  !  Then,  too,  he  was  a 
theologian  of  the  true  Holy  Ghost  type.  I  am  and  have 
been  for  years  a  teacher  of  theology,  but  the  best  theolog- 
ical university  I  ever  attended  was  when  I  have  sat  here 
upon  this  platform  with  hundreds  of  other  ministers  and 
Christian  workers  all  around,  and  listened  while  he  indoc- 
trinated us  all  in  the  deep  things  of  God.  Oh,  I  would 
not  have  missed  knowing  David  Updegraff  for  ^11  the 
world!  Peace  to  his  memory,  peace  to  his  ashes;  and 
we  shall  meet  him,  and  spend  eternity  together.  His 
Christ  is  ours,  and  the  source  of  His  power  is  open  to  us. 
During  his  life  of  labor  and  victory  he  gave  God  all  the 
glory,  and  I  can  imagine  him  now  casting  all  trophies 
down  at  Jesus'  feet  and  giving  Him  the  glory  still ! ' 

' '  I  have  been  able  only  to  give  my  readers  a  very  few 
of  the  beautiful  loving  words  of  these  two  brethren,  for 
most  of  the  time  my  own  heart  was  too  full  to  write,  and 
the  tears  bUnded  me  so  I  could  not  see.  But  it  is  impos- 
sible anyway  to  put  such  love  as  theirs  (and  ours)  upon 
paper,  and  words  are  not  adequate  to  convey  to  the  minds 
of  others  half  the  truth  concerning  '  David  Updegraff  as 
we  knew  him.'  It  will  take  the  eternal  ages  to  unfold  all 
that  he  has  been  to  us  and  to  hundreds  of  others  whose 
lives  have  felt  his  touch.  Thank  God  for  this  holy,  beau- 
tiful, strong,  helpful  life !     We  grieve  that  it  should  be 


MEMORIALS  AND  LOVING  TRIBUTES.         283 

cut  short,  seemingly  right  in  the  midst  of  his  usefulness, 
but  we  rejoice  that  he  was  given  unto  us,  even  for  a  sea- 
son. 

' '  Brother  Thompson  now  gave  opportunity  f or_  others 
to  tell  briefly  in  what  way  '  Our  David '  had  been  made  a 
blessing  unto  them,  and  in  quick  response  many  told  how 
he  had  helped  them  along  different  lines,  while  many 
others  would  fain  have  spoken,  for  whom  there  was  not 
time.  It  is  perfectly  wonderful  how  many  lives  this  man 
baptized  with  the  Holy  Ghost  has  touched,  only  to  bring 
blessing. 

"  Brother  Thompson,  in  closing  this  memorial  service, 
urged  us  to  remember  that  while  we  might  not  all  preach 
or  write  like  Brother  UpdegrafF — while  we  might  not  all 
be  as  '  great '  as  he  was,  yet  we  might  all  be  as  *  good  ' 
as  he.  The  same  blood  that  washed  him  '  whiter  than 
snow  '  still  flowed  for  our  cleansing.  The  same  blessed 
Holy  Spirit  which  so  wonderfully  empowered  him  was 
still  abroad  in  the  world  performing  His  office  work  upon 
the  hearts  of  the  children  of  men.  And  the  same  Al- 
mighty Source  from  which  he  drew  his  strength  was  still 
available  for  each  one  of  us.  And  as  we  listened  to  the 
words  of  our  beloved  '  bishop,'  we  believe  we  are  safe  in 
saying  that  there  was  not  one  present  who  did  not  then 
and  there  get  a  firmer  grip  on  God,  and  resolve  from  that 
day  to  emulate  '  Our  David  '  in  being  '  good  '  even  if  we 
might  not  be  '  great.'     God  help  us!     Amen  ! 

"Just  before  the  service  closed  Brother  Smith  spoke 
briefly  of  the  marvelous  way  in  which  the  life  of  Sister 
Updegraff  had  been  spared  in  order  that  she  might  min- 
ister to  her  loved  husband  in  his  last  days  on  earth.  And 
our  tears  overflowed  afresh  as  we  were  told  how  just  be- 
fore he  fell  into  the  comatose  state  that  lasted  until  the 


284  MEMOIR  OF  DA  VID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

end,  he  looked  lovingly  up  into  her  eyes  and  whispered, 
'God  knew  that  I  would  need  thee,  dear.'  May  the 
choicest  blessings  of  our  Heavenly  Father  rest  upon  the 
lonely  wife  and  the  bereaved  household  at  Mount  Pleas- 
ant. Brother  Smith  then  continued:  '  This  would  be  a 
very  unfitting  memorial  of  David  B.  Updegraff  if  some 
one  did  not  get  specially  helped  before  it  closes.'  A  fiery 
exhortation  was  followed  by  a  rush  to  the  altar,  and  in 
the  next  few  moments  many  souls  received  '  special  help,' 
and  some  were  fully  saved.  Glory  !  Glory  !  Truly  the 
God  whom  *  Our  Dayid  '  loved  and  served  is  still  among 
His  people.  This  blessed  service,  w^hich  must  ever  re- 
main fresh  in  all  our  hearts,  closed  by  singing, 

'  One  sweetly  solemn  thought,' 

after  which  Brother  Thompson  pronounced  the  benedic- 
tion, and  we  went  to  our  homes  praising  God  that  Brother 
Updegraff  had  ever  lived,  and  that  dying  he  had  left  behind 
him  so  many  precious  memories,  and  also  so  many  holy 
hands  and  hearts  to  carry  on  the  work  he  loved  so  well. 
Truly  God  is  good  to  those  who  love  Him  !" 

Next  came  the  Memorial  Service  at 

PITMAN    GROVE,  N.  J. 

Here  are  some  of  the  tributes  paid  his  memory-  on  ihat 
very  blessed  occasion  : 

"  MEMORIAL. 

"Resolutions  on  the  death  of  David  B.  Updegraff, 
passed  by  the  Board  of  Directors  of  the  Pitman  Grove 
Camp-Meeting  Association  : 

"  Whereas,  God,  in  His  wise  and  inscrutable  Providence 
has  taken  our  brother,  David  B.  Updegraff,  from  the  labor 


MEMORIALS  AND  LOVING   TRIBUTES.        285 

of  earth  to  the  rich  reward  of  heaven,  we  desire  to  ex- 
press 

"I.  Our  unfeigned  sorrow. 

"  His  pure  character,  his  warm  heart,  his  genial  man- 
ner, and  his  unselfish  devotion  to  the  Master's  work  en- 
deared him  to  all,  and  especially  to  those  who  knew  him 
best.  His  sunny  smile  was  but  the  reflection  of  a  joyous 
religion,  the  power  of  which  pervaded  his  entire  nature. 
In  his  death  we  have  lost  a  warm  friend,  a  wise  counsel- 
lor, a  tried  and  true  Christian  brother. 

**  II.  Our  deep  sense  of  loss. 

"  For  some  years  he  has  been  a  prominent  worker  in 
our  [camp-meeting  at  Pitman  Grove.  Fitted  by  nature 
and  by  grace  to  be  a  religious  leader  of  men,  his  labors 
with  us  have  been  successful  above  the  common  average. 
His  original  expositions  of  Scripture,  his  plain  and  forc- 
ible presentations  of  great  truths,  brought  light  and  com- 
fort to  many  souls.  When  we  gather  this  year  for  our 
meeting  we  will  greatly  miss  his  words  of  encourage- 
ment, his  earnest  prayers,  his  faithful  and  instructive 
sermons.  It  seems  to  us  that  while  the  work  is  so  great, 
and  truly  consecrated  workers  so  few,  the  world  can 
poorly  spare  such  men  as  he. 

"III.  Our  reverent  submission. 

"We  know  that  his  removal  from  us  was  of  God,  who 
doeth  all  things  well,  and  believe  that  the  great  work  to 
which  Brother  Updegraff  gave  his  life,  will  still  go  on. 
We  are  sure  that  behind  this  '  dim  unknown  standeth 
God  wnthin  the  shadows,  keeping  watch  above  his  own.' 
The  work  is  God's;  the  workmen  also  belong  to  Him,  and 
whether  they  be  on  earth  or  in  heaven,  success  shall 
come  at  last. 

"  IV.  Our  profound  sympathy  with  his  family. 


286  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.  UPDECRAFF- 

'  *  Our  loss  is  great ;  theirs  must  be  infinitely  greater. 
May  divine  grace  sustain  them,  the  divine  Presence  at- 
tend them,  and  the  God  of  all  comfort,  bless  and  keep 
them.  His  memory  will  be  to  them  an  ever-brightening 
benediction,  and  the  gentle  influence  of  his  life  an  ever- 
helpful  presence.     He 

"  *  Sank  to  the  grave  with  unperceived  decay, 
While  resignation  gently  sloped  the  way. 
And  all  his  prospects  brightening  to  the  last. 
His  heaven  commenced  ere  the  world  was  passed.* 

"John  S.  Heisler, 
"E.  Hewitt, 

Committee. ' ' 

"friend  updegraff. 

"  There  has  been  no  name  among  the  laborers  at  Pit- 
man Grove  which  has  evoked  a  quicker  thrill  of  response 
from  the  hearts  of  its  people  than  Friend  David  B.  Upde- 
graff. He  was  vSo  long  associated  with  us  that  he  was 
one  of  us. 

"  He  was  so  loving  in  his  heart  he  needed  no  pathway 
of  testing  to  enter  into  ours.  He  was  so  natural  in  his 
friendship  that  he  needed  no  password  into  its  gates 
with  us. 

"  He  was  so  unaffectedly  human  that  we  instinctively' 
called  him  brother. 

"  He  was  so  truly  humble  that  the  lowliest  sinners  felt 
no  embarrassment  in  approaching  him. 

*  *  He  was  so  thoroughly  genial  that  all  classes  of  peo- 
ple loved  his  company. 

"He  so  lived  '  Holiness  to  the  Lord  '  that  he  reflected 
holiness  toward  men  so  that  men  could  see  it  and  glorify 
God. 


MEMORIALS  AND  LOVING  TRIBUTES.        287 

"  He  labored  so  freely  in  the  Gospel  that  he  took  rank 
with  Paul  in  working  without  compensation. 

"  He  so  realized  salvation  that  he  was  equally  at  home 
with  the  awakened  sinner  and  the  soul  which  had  reached 
its  stature  in  Christ  Jesus. 

*'  He  was  so  filled  with  the  Spirit  that  his  leadership 
asserted  itself  as  one  of  Pitman's  great  captains  of  salva- 
tion, while  his  conversation  was  so  really  in  heaven  that 
our  spiritual  soldiers  unquestioningly  followed  him. 

"  His  intelligence  in  spiritual  things  disarmed  criticism 
by  his  manifestations  of  the  deep  things  of  God. 

"But  he  is  not,  for  God  has  taken  him.  His  face, 
irradiated  with  the  Spirit,  will  beam  no  more  upon  us 
at  Pitman;  nor  his  voice  float  its  power  into  our  souls. 
But  his  presence  will  be  with  us  even  though  we  may  not 
see  it.  Christ  will  not  keep  him  away  from  the  spot  he 
loved  so  well,  where  the  hosts  of  the  Lord  are  encamped. 

' '  The  tears  with  which  we  bedew  his  memory  will  ap- 
peal to  Christ  for  his  presence  in  the  Spirit.  The  tomb- 
stone in  our  hearts,  on  which  his  name  is  written,  will 
call  him  to  us  to  read,  '  Friend  Updegraff,'  laborer  with 
Pitman  on  earth,  Pitman  will  labor  to  join  you  in 
heaven.  *•:  s;  A;  !E'.jBai,uard .''',,  i 

jl,  ..,ij   ,,.       "saint   of    precious    M;EM0RY.         ■vMi^.^^cM.V. 

'  *^  I  'formed  my  first  personal  acquaintance  with  the  de- 
ceased at  Pitman  Grove  on  his  first  visit,  and  soon  a  warm 
attachment  was  engendered,  which  ripened  into  the  closest 
friendship;  In  all  my  associations  with  him,  I  always 
found  a  Christian  brother  full  of  faith  and  love;  the  em- 
bodiment of  a  true  man  filled  with  the  fire  of  the  Gospel, 
always  ready  to  do  good  work  for  his  Master,  who  took 
me  to  his  heart.     The  more  we  met  the  more  intense  our 


288  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

esteem  grew  for  each  other.  He  was  a  workman  that 
had  no  need  to  be  ashamed.  Always  abounding  in  the 
love  of  Christ,  he  has  gone  on  and  proved  that  it  is  far 
better  to  be  with  the  Lord.  May  his  mantle  fall  on  his 
associates.  James  M.  Cassidy." 

"*  Know  ye  not  that  there  is  a  prince  and  a  great  man 
fallen  this  day,  in  the  death  of  Rev.  David  B.  Updegraff  ?' 
It  came  upon  us  suddenly  and  unexpectedly.  We  had 
been  accustomed  to  look  upon  him  as  a  model  of  physical 
development  in  the  strength  of  vigorous  manhood,  with  a 
constitution  almost  impervious  to  disease ;  and  withal  a 
man  possessing  great  moral  power  and  high  intellectual 
culture,  not  only  in  the  halls  of  science,  but  in  the  school 
of  Christ.  He  was  a  man  who  could  tell  others  what  he 
knew  and  believed,  in  the  most  pleasing  and  convincing 
manner.  The  death  of  such  a  man  is  felt  to  be  a  ca- 
lamity, when  we  come  to  realize  that  we  shall  see  his  face 
no  more.  And  yet,  though  dead,  he  will  still  live  en- 
shrined in  the  heart  of  a  vast  multitude  who,  at  Pitman 
Grove,  Ocean  Grove,  and  many  other  places,  received  the 
Word  of  God  from  his  lips,  touched  with  a  live  coal  from 
God's  altar.  Earnest  and  impassioned  in  his  address,  we 
have  seen  him  pour  out  his  soul  in  a  stream  of  burning 
eloquence,  seeming  never  to  think  of  weariness  in  his  in- 
tense desire  to  save  souls  and  lift  the  church  to  a  higher 
plane  of  religious  experience.  In  this  he  was  abundantly 
successful,  and  many  will  now  rise  up  and  call  him  blessed. 

"  Some  will  no  doubt  incline  to  the  opinion  that  he  was 
a  sacrifice  to  his  burning  zeal  for  the  cause  of  the  Master; 
that  he  crowded  too  much  in  a  few  years  of  earnest  toil. 
Still,  as  we  think  of  the  past  and  the  present,  and  look 


MEMORIALS  AND  LOVING  TRIBUTES.        289 

forward  to  the  future  and  the  coming  glory,  we  may  well 
exclaim,  '  Servant  of  God,  well  done! ' 

"H.  M.  Brown." 

**  David  B.  Updegraf!  was  one  of  the  brightest  illustra- 
tions of  gospel  liberty  I  ever  knew.  He  testified  to  a 
freedom  from  the  bondage  of  sin  in  such  a  way  as  to  carry 
conviction  that  he  was  '  free  indeed.'  In  his  public  min- 
istry he  was  remarkably  free  in  thought  and  lariguage 
and  7?ia7mer.  I  have  seen  him  before  large  audiences  and 
under  various  circumstances,  but  I  never  saw  him  embar- 
rassed. He  never  appeared  more  at  home  than  in  these 
services,  where  he  invited  questions  on  the  line  of  Chris- 
tian holiness.  His  answers  were  given  instantly,  and  with 
remarkable  clearness.  Taking  him  all  in  all,  he  was  the 
freest  man  I  ever  knew  in  the  body,  and  now  that  his  soul 
has  been  liberated  from  the  earthly  house  and  has  sailed 
out  into  the  eternal  sphere,  he  is  just  where  he  seemed  so 
well  fitted  to  be  when  we  looked  upon  him  as  he  stood 
before  us  in  the  auditorium  of  pitman  Grove. 

"J.  S.  Heisler." 

"  Surely  no  one  who  knew  this  wonderful  man  could 
doubt  for  a  moment  that  he  was  fully  set  apart  and  di- 
vinely commissioned,  like  the  Apostle  Paul,  for  a  special 
work  in  the  churches.  His  masterly  sermons,  his  im- 
promptu addresses,  his  instructive  and  surprising  Bible 
readings,  and  his  bright,  cheery,  loving,  stainless  personal 
life,  all  clearly  show  that  he  was  intimately  acquainted 
with  Jesus  and  walked  close  to  Him,  and  delighted  to  be 
in  His  company  and  have  all  others  enjoy  the  same  blessed 
privilege  and  experience.  And  who  could  doubt  but  that 
he  had  a  marvelous  insight  into  the  mysteries  of  that 
wonderful  book,  the  Bible.     What  lucid  unfoldings  of  the 


290  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

Word,  made  so  clear  and  plain,  and  which  had  been  to 
many  sealed  up  all  their  lives. 

"  He  was  a  theological  seminar)^  in  himself.  His  Bible 
expositions,  and  his  ready  and  convincing  answers  to  the 
most  profound  questions  relating  to  doctrine  and  Chris- 
tian experience,  exceeded  anything  we  have  ever  heard, 
and  in  the  language  of  Rev.  E.  F.  Walker,  of  the  Presby- 
terian ministry,  I  would  say,  *  My  true  yoke- fellow!  Thou 
wast  very  pleasant  to  me !  Thy  going  has  torn  my  heart ! 
This  poor  earth  is  poorer  without  thee  in  it,  and  lonelier. 
But  heaven  is  dearer  and  seems  nearer  now.  When  I 
meet  thee  there,  I  will  try  to  tell  thee  how  much  thou 
hast  been  to  me.'  Rev.  W.  Walton." 

At  the  next  Annual  Gathering  in  the  parlors  of  Eliza- 
beth Farnum,  at  1214  Arch  street,  Philadelphia,  held  in 
April,  1895,  David's  absence  was  very  much  felt.  God 
seemed,  however,  to  grant  unusual  favor  and  fervor  to 
Brother  Clark,  upon  whom  the  responsibility  of  guiding 
the  meeting  now  fell.  It  was  the  mind,  both  of  Sister 
Farnum  and  Brother  Clark,  that  a  memorial  service  should 
be  held  here  also.  And  like  nearly  all  the  others  referred 
to,  this  service  was  attended  with  the  salvation  of  souls. 
No  less  than  six,  we  think,  entered  into  the  experience  of 
perfect  love  upon  this  occasion. 

We  give  Rev.  John  Thompson's  report  of  this  servic^ 


MEMORIAL   SERVICE?. 


"  A  very  spiritual  and  heart-touching  service  in  mem- 
ory of  our  dearly  beloved  David  B..;  Updegraff  was  held 
in  the  parlors  of  our  esteemed  Sister  Elizabeth  H.  Far- 
num of  Philadelphia,  Thursday  afternoon,  April  18, 1895. 
Appropriate  hymns  were  sung  by  Dr.   H.  L.  Gilmour, 


MEMORIALS  AND  LOVING  TRIBUTES.        291 

which  were  heartily  united  in  by  the  congregation  with 
tenderness  and  tears.  Sisters  Cassie  L.  Smith  and  Clara 
Boyd  led  in  prayer,  after  which  Dr.  Dougan  Clark  read 
the  following  Scriptures: 

'  The  righteous  shall  be  in  everlasting  remembrance.' 
— Psa.  112:  6. 

*  Precious  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord  is  the  death  of  His 
saints.'— Psa.  116:  15. 

'The  memory  of  the  just  is  blessed.' — Prov.  10:  7. 

'  But  I  would  not  have  you  to  be  ignorant,  brethren, 
concerning  them  which  are  asleep,  that  3'e  sorrow  not, 
even  as  others  which  have  no  hope. 

*  For  if  we  believe  that  Jesus  died  and  rose  again,  even 
so  them  also  which  sleep  in  Jesus  will  God  bring  with 
him. 

'  For  this  we  say  unto  3^ou  b}^  the  word  of  the  L,ord, 
that  we  which  are  alive  and  remain  unto  the  coming  of 
the  Lord  shall  not  prevent  them  which  are  asleep. 

*  For  the  Lord  Himself  shall  descend  from  heaven  with 
a  shout,  with  the  voice  of  the  archangel,  and  with  the 
trump  of  God;  and  the  dead  in  Christ  shall  rise  first: 

'  Then  we  which  are  alive  and  remain  shall  be  caught 
up  together  with  them  in  the  clouds,  to  meet  the  Lord 
in  the  air;  and  so  shall  we  ever  be  with  the  Lord. 

'Wherefore  comfort  one  another  with  these  words.'  — 
I.  Thess.  4:  13-18. 

'And  I  heard  a  voice  from  heaven,  saying  unto  me, 
Write,  Blessed  are  the  dead  which  die  in  the  Lord  from 
henceforth:  Yea,  saith  the  Spirit,  that  they  may  rest  from 
their  labors;  and  their  works  do  follow  them." — Rev.  14: 
13. 

' '  Not  having  at  our  command  a  short-hand  reporter, 
we  can  only  give  the  substance  of  the  addresses. 


292  MEMOIR  OF  DA  VID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

"Elizabeth  H.  Farnum  was  the  first  to  speak.  She 
said  there  was  so  much  in  her  mind  that  she  almost  feared 
to  attempt  to  speak  lest  she  might  take  up  too  much  time. 
She  said  :  '  David  B.  UpdegrafT  was  to  me  as  a  spiritual 
adviser  more  than  any  other  man.  He  was  not  onl}^  of 
service  to  me  as  a  spiritual  adviser,  but  I  found  him  a 
wise  and  safe  counsellor  in  other  matters.  This  meeting 
would  not  have  been  continued  to  this  day  had  it  not  been 
for  the  advice  and  influence  of  Brother  Updegraff  and 
Dr.  Clark.  Many  are  here  to-day  who  well  remember 
how  wonderfully  the  Lord  used  Brother  Updegraff  in  these 
services.  We  cannot  tell  how  many  were  converted  and 
how  many  were  led  into  the  experience  of  holiness  through 
his  instruction.  But  I  must  stop,  my  heart  is  too  full  for 
expression.' 

"  Rev.  Henry  J.  Zelley,  of  the  New  Jersey  Conference: 
Five  years  ago  Brother  Updegraff  was  instrumental  in 
leading  me  into  the  experience  of  heart  purity  at  Mount- 
ain Lake  Park.  Since  then  I  have  been  on  the  most  in- 
timate terms  with  him.  I  have  enjoyed  the  blessed  priv- 
ilege of  having  him  at  vay  home.  I  have  enjoyed  his 
preaching  and  other  services  at  camp-meeting.  To  me  it 
is  a  great  privilege  to  testify  to  his  deep  piet}'  and  to  the 
blessed  influence  he  has  had  and  will  continue  to  have  on 
my  life.     I  love  Brother  Updegraff. 

"Rev.  D.  H.  Kenney,  of  Philadelphia:  Brother  Upde- 
graff did  not  know  me  intimately,  but  I  knew  him,  and  I 
have  cause  to  be  thankful  that  I  was  ever  brought  within 
the  reach  of  his  holy  influence.  The  Lord  made  him  a 
great  blessing  to  me  at  Mountain  Lake  Park.  I  have 
known  other  great  and  good  men,  but  few  others  were  to 
me  what  this  saint  of  God  was. 

"Rev.  George  Hughes:  I  am  glad  this  is  not  a  funeral 


MEMORIALS  AND  LOVING  TRIBUTES.        298 

service.  Brother  Updegraff  still  lives.  He  has  simply 
changed  the  place  of  his  abode.  In  other  words,  he  has 
been  promoted.  We  know  what  he  has  been  promoted 
from,  but  we  cannot  even  imagine  what  he  has  been 
promoted  to.  He  knew  much  while  he  was  here  with 
us,  but  how  little  did  he  know  then  compared  with  what 
he  knows  now.  His  removal  is  a  providential  mystery. 
We  cannot  tell  why  the  Lord  took  him  away.  It  may 
be  the  Lord  had  need  for  just  such  a  man  in  heaven.  But 
while  we  do  not  know  why  the  Lord  took  him,  we  do 
know  that  infinite  wisdom  makes  no  mistakes.  '  The 
Lord  doeth  all  things  well.'  We  greatly  miss  him,  and 
shall  continue  to  miss  him,  but  we  will  soon  go  to  join 
his  company  where  'they  never  say  good-bye.' 

"Lidie  H.  Kenney :  I  thank  God  for  Brother  Upde- 
graff. I  am  glad  it  was  ever  my  privilege  to  be  brought 
under  the  spiritual  influence  of  this  great  and  good  man. 
I  attended  the  meetings  that  he  held  in  this  room  from 
the  beginning,  also  the  meetings  that  he  held  at  Mount- 
ain Lake  Park  from  the  beginning.  It  was  at  Mountain 
Lake  Park  w^here  the  Lord  made  him  such  a  special 
blessing  to  my  soul.  I  w^as  in  the  experience  of  heart 
purity  before  I  knew  him,  but  he  was  the  instrument  in 
the  hands  of  the  Lord  in  leading  me  into  deeper  and 
higher  and  sweeter  experiences  than  I  ever  enjoyed  be- 
fore knowing  him.  Thank  God  that  Brother  UpdegrafE 
still  lives.     I  shall  see  him  again. 

"  Rev.  Joseph  H.  Smith  :  Inasmuch  as  I  expect  in  a 
short  time  to  publish  *  The  Life  and  Work  of  Rev.  David 
B.  Updegraff,'  I  hesitate  to  speak  now,  and  yet  I  feel  im- 
pelled to  say  a  few  words.  I  want  to  say  that  if  we 
except  the  ministry  of  Rev.  J.  S.  Inskip  there  is  no  man 
of  our  day  who  has  led  more  souls  into  the  blessed  expe- 


294  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

lience  of  holiness  than  our  beloved  Brother  UpdegrafF. 
Then  I  want  to  call  attention  to  the  fact  that  he  took 
special  pains  to  honor  the  blood  of  Christ.  He  was 
broad  in  his  views  and  especially  free  from  bigotry,  but 
no  man  and  no  book  could  have  his  religious  indorse- 
ment who  did  not  honor  the  blood  of  Christ.  Next  to  the 
blood  you  will  remember  how  on  all  occasions^  he  was 
very  careful  to  honor  the  Holy  Ghost.  We  do  well  to 
follow  Brother  UpdegrafF  fully  in  these  two  particulars. 
We  are  not  called  on  so  to  broaden  our  views  as  to  put 
ourselves  in  sympathy  with  those  who,  either  directly  or 
indirectly,  ignore  the  blood  of  Christ  or  fail  to  honor  the 
Holy  Ghost.     This  much  I  felt  that  I  ought  to  say. 

"Rev.  E.  I.  D.  Pepper:  At  the  time  of  the  death  of 
Brother  Updegraff  I  gave  full  vent  to  my  views  and  feel- 
ings in  my  editorial  in  the  Christian  Standard.  But  I 
want  to  emphasize  one  point  here.  That  is,  that  the  trait 
of  religious  character  that  especially  arrested  my  atten- 
tion in  the  life  of  Brother  Updegraff  was  his  passion  for 
saving  souls.  I  have  been  with  him  under  a  great  vari- 
ety of  circumstances,  and  I  have  not  failed  to  notice  that 
whether  in  the  cars  or  in  the  streets  or  in  meetings  the 
great  matter  with  him  was  to  be  on  the  watch  for  oppor- 
tunities for  soul-saving.  In  this  respect  I  think  I  never 
knew  his  equal.  His  great  heart  went  out  for  opportu- 
nities to  be  instrumental  in  the  salvation  of  souls. 

"Jesse  Shiber:  Just  about  where  I  am  now  standing 
I  gave  my  first  definite  testimony  to  the  experience  of 
perfect  love.  Brother  UpdegrafF  was  present,  and  as 
I  sat  down  he  said  very  encouragingly,  'God  bless  you, 
my  brother.'  From  that  time  I  have  had  pleasant  recol- 
lections of  this  sainted  man  of  God,  and  that  '  God  bless 
you,  my  brother,'  seems  to  go  with  me.     It  was  not  alto- 


MEMORIALS  AND  LOVING  TRIBUTES.         295 

gether  what  he  said,  but  there  was  something  in  his  man- 
ner of  saying  it  that  gave  special  force  to  what  he  said. 
I  shall  always  cherish  precious  recollections  of  this  deeply 
pious  man  of  God. 

"  Rev.  Isaac  Nay  lor,  the  Yorkshire  evangelist:  I  have 
not  had  so  long  an  acquaintance  with  Brother  Updegraff 
as  some  of  you,  but  I  had  an  intimacy  with  him  that 
makes  his  precious  memory  very  dear  to  my  soul.  I 
have  been  with  him  not  only  in  camp-meeting  and  re- 
vival services,  but  I  had  the  privilege  of  spending  two 
weeks  with  him  in  his  own  happy  Christian  home.  We 
have  gpod  opportunities  of  knowing  the  saints  of  God 
outside  of  their  homes,  but  there  is  certainly  no-  better 
place  to  get  to  know  people  than  in  their  homes.  The 
two  weeks  that  I  enjoyed  in  the  home  of  this  good  man 
of  God  only  confirmed  the  high  estimate  that  I  had  of 
his  piety  before  I  was  privileged  to  have  this  delightful 
privilege  of  abiding  under  his  roof.  I  shall  be  a  better 
man  as  I  believe,  all  my  days  for  having  had  the  acquaint- 
ance of  Rev.  David  B.  Updegraff." 

WHAT   THEY   SAID   ABOUT   HI 

Loving  tributes  published  in  the  Christian  Standard: 

"Abbie  Mills,  Aurora,  111. :  Brother  Updegraff  was  one 
of  the  most  brotherly  of  brothers  to  me.  I  praise  God  for 
having  witnessed  his  success  in  helping  souls  into  light. 

"  Josiah  Landis,  lyititz,  Pa. :  I  greatly  admired  the  late 
David  B.  Updegraff.  He  was  a  holy  man  of  God.  I  am 
reading  wdth  profit  his  book,  '  Old  Corn.' 

"Oliver  M.  Lednum,  Bosman,  Md. :  To  the  memory 
of  David  B.  Updegraff  I  shall  never  forget  his  looks  when 
he  was  at  Easton,  Md.  It  was  there  I  plunged  in  the 
cleansing  fountain. 


296  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B,  UPDEGRAFF. 

"  L.  W.  Burroughs,  Richmond,  Va.  :  I  mourn  because 
dear  Brother  Updegraff  has  gone,  but  praise  God  for  his 
example  and  teaching,  which  abide  with  me  in  sweetness, 
power,  and  blessing. 

•*  Rev.  I.  P.  McKee,  Pittsburg,  Pa. :  Brother  Upde- 
graff was  a  zealous  and  a  gourageous  man  of  God,  called 
to  preach  the  Gospel.  Dead,  but  still  he  lives  in  the 
hearts  of  thousands. 

"  Rev.  James  D.  Acker,  Germantown,  Philadelphia, 
Pa. :  Oh,  how  I  was  grieved  to  learn  of  the  '  early  depart- 
ure '  of  our  dear  Brother  Updegraff;  but  God  has  done  it, 
I  will  be  submissive. 

"Rev.  I.  Simmons,  D.  D.,  Danbury,  Conn.:  I  praise 
God  for  a  holy  intimacy  with  the  spirit  of  Rev.  David  B. 
Updegraff.  I  mourn  his  departure.  The  memory  of  our 
last  interview  is  precious. 

"A.  M.  Cheeks,  Mt.  Holly,  N.  J.:  Brother  Updegraff 
has  been  a  blessing  to  me.  I  received  much  light  from 
him  in  the  line  of  holiness.  In  all  time  to  come  his  mem- 
ory to  me  will  be  precious. 

"Elizabeth  A.  Mitchell,  Hayesville,  Pa.:  We  have 
sustained  a  great  loss  in  the  death  of  our  dear  Brother 
Updegraff.  But  our  loss  is  no  doubt  his  eternal  gain. 
His  name  will  always  be  dear  to  me. 

"A.  R.  Craig,  Stoneham,  Mass.:  I  have  been  greatly 
helped  and  blessed  by  listening  to  Brother  Updegraff.  I 
feel  impelled  to  mourn  with  the  rest,  though  not  inti- 
mately acquainted  w4th  him. 

"  E.  L.  Hill,  P^merson,  Ohio:  Translated,  glorified, 
crowned,  our  beloved  spiritual  guide,  used  of  God  in 
leading  me  into  light  and  liberty.  Bereaved,  but  rejoicing 
in  hope.     He  walked  with  God,  and  God  took  him. 

"  Lucy  L.  Wood,  Emerson,  Ohio:  While  we  mourn  our 


.    MEMORIALS  AND  LOVING  TRIBUTES.        297 

loss  in  the  death  of  Brother  Updegraff,  we  rejoice  to  be- 
lieve he  is  safe  in  his  heavenly  home. 

'  Free  from  sorrow,  pain,  and  care, 
Sweetly  resting  over  there.' 

"  L.  D.  Crooks,  Greensburg,  Ind.  :  Dear  brother:  I  am 
thankful  to  God  that  He  ever  led  me  to  an  acquaintance 
with  Brother  Updegraff.  The  memory  of  this  precious 
man  is  a  blessing  to  my  soul.  I  expect  to  spend  eternit\ 
with  him. 

"Rev.  Daniel  Steele,  D.  D.,  Boston,  Mass.:  David  B. 
Updegraff  was  a  notable  specimen  of  a  son  of  God,  '  free, 
indeed,'  through  the  *  more  abundant  life'  inspired  in  the 
believer  '  sanctified  wholly  '  and  '  filled  with  all  the  full- 
ness of  God.' 

"  Rev.  Philip  Haendiges,  Philadelphia,  Pa. :  I  am  sorry 
to  part  with  Brother  Updegraff,  but  I  praise  the  Lord  that 
he  ever  lived.  I  rejoice  in  the  hope  that  I  shall  shout 
with  him  in  glory.  Dear  Brother  Updegraff  was  a  great 
ble.ssing  to  me  as  he  was  to  thousands  of  others. 

**Wm.  W.  Brilhart,  Indiana,  Pa.:  Our  beloved  David 
is  gone.  He  now  stands  on  the  shining  .shore  beck- 
oning us  to  come.  Oh,  what  depths  of  pure  love  flowed 
from  his  soul!  His  memory  is  precious.  It  seems  to  me 
I  almost  hear  him  singing, 

'  I  am  dwelHng  ou  the  mountain.' 

"Allan  and  Eliza  Tomlinson,  Westfield,  Ind.:  Words 
fail  to  convey  our  feelings  of  sorrow  on  receipt  of  the  in- 
telligence of  the  death  of  our  dear  friend,  David  B.  Upde- 
graff. May  God  in  His  goodness  console  his  dear  family 
in  this  dark  hour  of  tribulation. 

**Rev.  H.  J.  Zelley,  Moorestown,  N.  J.:  I  loved  David 


1^98  MEMOIR  OF  DA  VID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

Updegraff.  Under  his  ministry  I  found  full  salvation. 
He  was  a  man  of  God,  and  his  life  and  teachhig  honored 
his  Master.  I  feel  that  I  have  lost  a  dear  friend  by  his 
death.     He  was  truly  a  great  man  and  will  be  missed. 

"  M.  A.  Sparling,  N.  H. :  It  was  a  great  surprise  to  me, 
as  it  was  to  many  others,  to  hear  of  the  death  of  Brother 
David  B.  Updegraff.  Our  loss  is  his  infinite  and  eternal 
gain.  Thousands  who  were  brought  to  Christ  through 
his  instrumentality  will  rejoice  in  anticipation  of  spending 
a  happy  eternity  with  him. 

"Jennie Smith, Mountain  Lake  Park,  Md.:  Howvividly 
we  see  the  face  of  our  beloved  Brother  Updegraff  coming 
up  the  steps  where  we  always  met  him  and  his  faithful 
co-worker.  Dr.  Clark,  as  they  came  to  the  opening  meet- 
ing in  the  parlors.  All  are  pra3'ing  the  Holy  Ghost  will 
fill  the  vacancy  of  the  greatly  missed  one. 

"  Mrs.  Esther  Tuttle  Pritchard,  Kokemo,  Ind. :  The  loss 
of  Brother  Updegraff  is  a  terrible  one  to  us  personally 
and  to  our  ancestral  church,  of  which  he  was  a  true  re- 
former. So  often  we  have  said,  '  We  have  but  one  David, 
so  clear-sighted  and  true  to  Christ.'  I  date  my  richest 
experience  in  divine  things  from  his  ministry. 

"  Rev.  J.  F.  Grob,  Baltimore,  Md.:  The  words  of  our 
beloved  Brother  Updegraff  were  luminous  like  lightning 
and  refreshing  like  water  brooks.  Bold  ones  grew  modest 
in  his  presence.  Timid  ones  grew  courageous  under  his 
teaching — weak  and  embarrassed  ones  were  helped  and 
made  strong  through  his  influence.  Praise  the  Lord !  Glory ! 

"Kate  Applegate,  Indianapolis,  Ind.:  We  heard  of 
Brother  Updegraff 's  ascension  yesterday.  While  we  know 
he  had  a  triumphant  entrance  into  glory,  yet  we  feel 
lonesome  without  him.  How  greatly  we  shall  miss  him! 
Perhaps  we  were  depending  too  much  on  him.     How  the 


MEMORIALS  AND  LOVING  TRIBUTES.        299 

props  are  being  taken  away !  But  no  good  thing  will  He 
withhold  from  them  that  walk  uprightly. 

"  Rev.  George  \V.  Brindell,  Eldora,  Iowa:  I  first  crossed 
the  pathway  of  that  sainted  man  of  God,  Rev,  David  B. 
Updegraff,  in  Iowa,  at  West  Branch,  twelve  years  ago. 
We  never  met  till  you  introduced  me  to  him  recently  at 
Mrs.  Farnum's  meetings.  How  I  praise  God  for  those 
five  hours  in  his  society,  and  for  the  hope  of  spending 
eternity  in  just  such  company! 

"Rev.  William  Jones,  D.  D.,  Sedalia,  Mo.:  Because 
friendship  is  of  heavenly  origin,  immortal  in  flower  and 
fruitage,  I  am  comforted  while  I  read,  David  B.  Updegraff 
is  dead.  I  may  never  be  able  to  tell  how  helpful  and  in- 
spiring his  words  have  been  to  me  during  the  past  ten 
years.  He  was  truly  a  workman  that  needed  not  to  be 
ashamed  and  I  rejoice  to  count  him  among  my  dearly 
beloved  friends. 

"  Cassie  L.  Smith,  Ocean  Grove,  N.  J.:  How  can  we 
write  of  an  'angel  of  the  churches  '  in  twenty-five  words? 
I  have  tried,  but  think  of  the  attempt  as  the  tiniest  sprig 
of  evergreen  to  the  memory  of  David  Updegraff  through 
whose  promotion  I  am  bereaved.  A  representative  of 
Christian  heroism  and  holy  zeal,  so  thoroughly  saved  he 
could  afford  to  be  natural;  a  great-hearted,  God-commis- 
sioned, faithful  under-shepherd. 

"Rev.  W.  H.  Swartz,  Springville,  N.  Y. :  Brother 
David  Updegraff  was  a  prince  in  Israel.  His  acquaint- 
ance, spiritual  ministrations,  and  childlike  character  were 
a  great  blessing  to  me. 

"Rev.  John  M.  Davis,  Oakland,  Md. :  Sorry  to  learn 
of  the  death  of  our  beloved  Brother  Updegraff.  How 
greatly  we  shall  miss  him  at  Mountain  Lake  Park ! 
Truly  a  great  and  a  good  man  has  fallen. 


300  MEMOIR  OF  DA  VID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

"  Frances  B.  Addy,  Denver,  Col. :  A  '  bishop  of  souls/ 
a  Friend,  a  bishop  'not  man-made,  but  God-made,' 
'  chosen  of  God,'  '  commissioned  by  Christ  and  inspired 
by  the  Holy  Spirit.*     God's  nobleman. 

''  Mrs.  E.  E.  Williams,  Roodhouse,  111. :  Everything  I 
am  as  a  Christian  worker  I  owe,  under  God,  to  David  B. 
Updegraff.  In  grateful  love,  with  sorrowful,  3'et  submis- 
sive heart,  I  would  lay  this  tribute  upon  the  resting-place 
of  '  our  King  David.' 

**  Dougan  Clark,  M.D.,  Richmond,  Ind.  :  Dearly  be- 
loved Brother  Updegraff,  my  spiritual  father  in  holiness, 
my  helper,  leader,  instructor,  adviser,  encourager,  re- 
prover in  my  holiness  work.  My  friend,  admired,  hon- 
ored, loved.     Alas!  my  brother,  farewell! 

"Mrs.  M.  R.  Skhmer,  St.  Louis,  Mo.:  I  send  these 
lines  to  give  expression  to  my  rejoicing  grief;  on  his  ac- 
count rejoicing,  on  our  own  sorrow.  I  know  that  our 
Father  doeth  all  things  well,  and  is  able  to  fill  the  va- 
cancy.    I  send  this  token  in  esteem  of  'our  King  David.' 

"Rev.  Isaac  Naylor,  Yorkshire  Evangelist,  Yorkshire, 
England:  Glorious  Brother  Updegraff !  I  thank  God  that 
I  ever  made  the  acquaintance  of  such  a  hero  for  Jesus. 
He  '  fought  a  good  fight  and  he  has  gone  for  his  crown.' 
Thou  sainted  spirit,  in  a  little  while  we  will  be  with 
thee. 

"Mrs.  J.  S.  Sloat,  Newburg,  N.  Y. :  We  wish  to  be 
counted  among  the  multitudes  who  are  mourning  because 
our  beloved  Brother  Updegraff  has  been  taken  from  us. 
We  are  fully  satisfied  that  he  is  a  victor  crowned.  We 
feel  lonesome  without  him,  but  deep  down  in  our  hearts 
we  are  still  saying,  'Thy  will  be  done.' 

"  Rev.  J.  Fred.  Heisse,  editor  of  the  Baltimore  Method- 
ist:  The  death  of  this  noted  Quaker   evangelist  is  sin^ 


l\IEMORIALS  AND  LOVING  TRIBUTES.        301 

cerely  mourned.  He  was,  indeed,  a  prince  in  Israel. 
Testimony  everywhere  catalogues  him  a  great  and  good 
man.  He  was  not  simply  a  member  of  the  Friends' 
church.  He  belonged  to  all  evangelical  denominations. 
He  was  strong  in  preaching,  successful  in  leading,  con- 
vincing in  teaching  and  as  a  soul-winner.  Camp-meet- 
ings, congregations,  evangelistic  services  by  the  score 
emphasize  his  marvelous  victories. 

"Lizzie  R.  Smith,  Germantowm,  Philadelphia,  Pa.: 
The  sermon  that  Brother  Updegraff  preached  at  Mount- 
ain Lake  Park  camp-meeting  last  summer  was  a  great 
blessing  to  my  soul.  Its  influence  has  lingered  with  me 
all  the  year.  I  just  needed  such  a  sermon,  and  while 
I  have  no  doubt  others  beside  myself  were  helped  and 
strengthened  in  their  purposes,  it  seemed  to  me  as  though 
the  sermon  was  preached  for  my  special  benefit.  We  will 
greatly  miss  our  beloved  Brother  Updegraff,  but  if  faith- 
ful we  shall  meet  him  again.     Praise  the  Lord  ! 

"  Rev.  John  Parker,  Mount  Kisco,  N.  Y.:  I  was  never 
at  Mountain  Lake  Park,  so  did  not  often  see  dear  *  Uncle 
David '  at  his  best.  But  I  loved  him  sincerely  because  of 
his  transparent  simplicity,  reality,  purity,  faith,  and  cour- 
age. He  believed  and  therefore  he  spake,  caring]  nothing 
for  the  echo,  but  only  for  the  revelation  given  to  him, 
and  the  authority  that  sent  him  and  the  object  that 
winged  his  feet  and  fired  his  heart.  His  '  Old  Corn  '  will 
become  new  manna  to  us  all  now.  Blessed  be  his  mem- 
ory, and  blessed  be  God  who  gave  him  to  us. 

**  Mrs.  Anna  M.  Hammer,  Philadelphia,  Pa.  :  Our  dear 
Brother  Updegraff  was  always  a  great  help  to  me.  His 
answers  to  questions  on  the  subject  of  religion  were 
always  forcible  and  satisfactory.  On  one  occasion  I 
asked  him  if  people,  when  they  were  sanctified,  were  so 


302  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

saved  that  they  could  not  sin.  He  said,  'No,  they  are 
not  so  saved  as  to  make  it  impossible  for  them  to  sin. 
They  are  not  saved  from  the  capacit}^  to  sin ,  but  they  are 
vSaved  from  the  propensity  or  desire  to  sin.'  This  to 
me  was  very  satisfactory.  I  praise  the  Lord  for  the  wise 
counsel  I  have  received  from  our  departed  Brother  Upde- 
grafF. 

"Miss  Susan  Plessner  Pollock,  Washington,  D.  C, 
and  Miss  Minnie  Dougherty,  Baltimore,  Md.  :  It  was 
with  a  shock  of  sorrow  and  surprise  we  read  in  the  Chris- 
tian Standard  of  the  death  of  the  faithful  worker,  David 
B.  Updegraif.  As  we  met  one  and  another  friend  at 
church  the  next  day  who  had  seen  and  heard  him  at 
Mountain  Lake  Park,  each  had  some  earnest  word  of  his 
to  tell,  which  was  as  strong  and  fresh  in  their  minds  and 
heart  as  if  spoken  yesterday.  This  was  his  gift,  to  so 
impress  his  hearers  that  they  took  home  what  he  said, 
and  thus  shall  his  work  live  after  him.  It  has  been  taken 
home  by  the  many  who  heard  him  to  the  many  who  did 
not,  and  now,  alas  !  cannot. 

"  Rev.  Adam  Wallace,  Ocean  Grove,  N.  J. :  Among  the 
ascended  o)  1894,  those  who  have  already  gone  or  those 
who  may  yet  pass  over  the  river,  we  suppose  it  to  be  un- 
likely that  a  single  personage  will  be  more  widely  and 
sincerely  mourned  than  our  beloved  David  B.  Updegraff. 
It  is  now  about  twenty  years  since  we  first  met  with  Rev. 
D.  B.  Updegraff,  and  almost  at  first  sight  gave  him  the 
confidence  and  admiration  of  our  heart  as  a  brother  be- 
loved in  the  kingdom  and  patience  of  Jesus  Christ.  This 
sincere  and  heart  respect  increased  year  after  year  as  we 
had  opportunity  to  see  more  of  the  man  and  learn  more 
of  the  mind  of  Christ  through  his  ministry.  Christians  of 
all  denominations  accepted  him  as  a  heavenly-instructed 


MEMORIALS  AND  LOVING  TRIBUTES.        303 

teacher  of  Gospel  truth,  and  loved  his  genial  spirit  and 
forceful  ministry.  Let  those  of  us  who  remain  learn  to 
lean  harder  on  God  and  give  full  proof  of  our  submission 
by  saying,  *  Thy  will  be  done.' 

"D.  K.  Landis,  Strasburg,  Pa.:  Well,  our  much  beloved 
Brother  Updegraff  and  father  in  the  gospel  has  gone  to 
his  heavenly  mansion.  I  am  one  of  the  thousands  who  had 
been  praying  for  Brother  Updegraff,  and  hoping  that  he 
might  be  with  us  to  bless  the  church  and  the  world  for 
many  years.  But  in  this  sore  bereavement,  as  in  all  other 
trials,  I  find  my  greatest  happiness  in  saying,  '  Thy  will 
be  done. '  I  pray  God  that  this  severe  trial  may  be  sancti- 
fied to  our  good.  Let  those  of  us  who  remain  be  more 
untiring  in  our  zeal  to  spread  scriptural  holiness. 

**Rev.  N.  C.  McLean,  Toledo,  Ohio:  Lips  cannot  ex- 
press nor  pen  describe  my  sorrow  of  heart  since  hearing 
of  the  death  of  our  beloved  David  B.  Updegraff.  I  can 
not  restrain  the  tears  as  I  think  that  we  shall  never  again 
hear  the  voice  of  that  dear  good  man  in  this  world.  I 
am  but  one  of  the  thousands  to  whom  God  made  him  a 
great  spiritual  blessing.  May  God,  by  the  power  of  di- 
vine grace,  sustain  Sister  Updegraff,  who  mourns  the  loss 
of  a  devoted  husband  and  the  children  who  mourn  the 
loss  of  an  affectionate  father. 

•'While  his  friends  are  so  deeply  mourning  his  loss, 
we  remember  the  great  contrast  for  him.  He  rests  from 
his  labors,  oh,  how  sweetly,  in  the  presence  of  Christ, 
for  whom  he  so  nobly  stood,  and  whose  Gospel  he  so 
eloquently  preached.  Many  there  are  who  can  truly  call 
him  blessed. 

'•Mrs.  Lidie  H.  Kenney,  Mount  Alverno,  Pa.:  The 
death  of  our  beloved  Updegraff  was  to  me  a  great  surprise. 
I  knew  he  was  in  poor  health,  but  could  not  bring  myself 


304  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

to  believe  that  his  work  was  done.  Even  now  it  seems 
difficult  to  believe  he  has  departed.  In  the  death  of 
Brother  Updegraff  1  have  lost  a  true  Christian  friend. 
Spiritually,  he  was  a  great  blevSsing  to  me.  I  shall 
miss  him  greatly.  This  is  to  me  as  well  as  to  others, 
a  mysterious  providence.  But  in  this,  as  in  everything 
else,  the  submissive  cry  of  my  soul  is,  '  Th)'  will  be 
done.' 

"Rev.  W.  Walton,  Secretary  of  Pitman  Grove  Camp 
Meeting  Association:  I  dearly  loved  Brother  David  B. 
Updegraff.  He  was  so  good,  so  great,  so  bright,  so  sweet 
and  so  instructive.  With  thousands  of  his  dear  friends  I 
feel  that  I  am  greatly  bereaved.  There  was  but  one  Da- 
vid B.  Updegraff.  I  mourn  because  of  the  great  loss  we 
have  sustained. 

"A.  H.  Hussey,  Mount  Pleasant,  Ohio:  In  1870  my 
beloved  Brother  Updegraff  taught  me,  by  faith,  the  way 
of  holiness.  Glory!  Since  then  he  has  been  to  me  a 
loving  counsellor  and  friend.  I  feel  most  keenly  the  loss 
I  have  sustained  in  his  death.  I  was  with  him  much 
during  his  last  sickness.  We  talked  together  of  his  de- 
parture, prayed  together,  and  in  his  last  moment  we  sang 
together  around  his  bed-side. 

Sweeping  through  the  gates.' 

He  is  now  with  that  Savior  whom  he  loved  so  well  and 
served  so  faithfully.  We  shall  greet  each  other  again  on 
the  eternal  shore.  No  doubt  ere  this  he  has  heard  the 
Master's  voice,  '  Well  done,  good  and  faithful  .servant; 
enter  thou  into  the  joy  of  thy  Lord.' 

"A  tribute  to  the  memory  of  David  B.  Updegraff  by 
J.  C.  Dorman,  Cincinnati,  Ohio: 


MEMORIALS  AND  LOVING  TRIBUTES.        305 

Devoted 

Aggressive 
Vigilant 
Impressive 
Daring 

Benevolent 

Upright 

Pious 

Diligent 

Earnest 

Gifted 

Righteous 

Alert 

Fearless 

Faithful 

"  Faithful  ambassador  of  Christ!  Clear  teacher  of  God's 
Truth!  Princely  proclaimer  of  the  Gospel!  Mighty  apos- 
tle of  Holiness!  Valiant  leader  of  God's  hosts!  Zealous, 
patient,  tireless  soul- winner!  Lustrous  example  of  per- 
fect love!  Tender  husband!  Loving  father!  Gentle 
brother!  Genial  friend!  David  beloved!  My  true  yoke- 
fellow! Thou  wast  very  pleasant  to  me.  Thy  going  has 
torn  my  heart.  Tliis  poor  earth  is  poorer  without  thee 
in  it,  and  lonelier.  But  heaven  is  dearer  and  seems  nearer 
now.  When  I  meet  thee  there  I  will  try  to  tell  thee  how 
much  thou  hast  been  to  me.  Thither,  my  footsteps 
quicken!    Till  the  morning  breaks,  adieu,  Oh,  precious! 

'  Theu  where  uubroken  friendship  reigus. 
Nor  of  divided  joy  complains. 
Shall  rise  our  blest,  angelic  strains, 
Together. 

"  Kd\vakd  F.  Walker." 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

HIS    WORKS    DO    FOLLOW    HIM. 
"  He  beiug  dead  yet  speaketh." 

Q^UCH  a  man  as  David  Updegraff  is  immortal  in  two 
\J  worlds.  For  while  he  rests  from  his  labors  and  is 
present  with  his  Lord  his  works  remain  and  will  increase 
wnth  the  years. 

It  is  here  that  men  and  ministers  should  reflect  and  in- 
quire as  to  the  enduring  character  of  the  work  to  which 
they  are  devoting  their  time  and  energies.  The  works 
of  some  men  live  scarcely  as  long  as  they  do,  though  they 
were  approved  and  applauded  for  these  works  in  their 
day.  Men  whose  ambition  and  reputation  is  to  build 
churches,  to  raise  monies,  to  attract  large  cojigregations, 
to  attain  offices,  to  acquire  scholarship,  may  accomplish 
their  object,  and  that  not  without  beneficial  effects.  Yet 
they  may  live  to  see  many  of  these  things  decay  and  dis- 
appear, and  many  of  them  go  into  obscurity  and  be  for- 
gotten, because  they  have  been  superseded  by  something 
a  little  better  of  the  same  kind.  These  things  were  never 
meant  to  endure.  They  are  as  the  "  wood,"  "  hay,"  and 
"stubble"  to  which  the  apostle  alludes.  And,  more- 
over, building  in  these  materials  is  not  conducive  to 
the  spiritual  life  and  prosperity  of  the  builder;  for 
though  he  shall  be  saved,  yet  it  is  "  so  as  by  fire,"  and 

/  SOf) 


HIS  WORKS  DO  FOLLOW  HIM.  307 

he  "suffers  the  loss"  of  the  best  of  a  Hfe-time's  oppor- 
tunities. 

The  kind  of  work  to  which  David  Updegraff  gave  him- 
self for  these  twenty-five  years  is  not  so  likely  to  attract 
the  attention  of  the  world  nor  to  wan  the  appreciation  of 
the  selfish  and  worldly  in  the  church,  as  many  other 
kinds  of  work  that  may  be  called  Christian  w^ork  would ; 
nor  are  his  successes  and  achievements  so  easily  recog- 
nized by  those  who  measure  everything  by  ecclesiastical 
tapelines  or  numerical  statistics,  as  they  are  by  those  who, 
having  accustomed  themselves  to  look  upon  the  Invisible 
One,  have  developed  ability  to  see  the  honor  which  God 
places  upon  many  things  which  men  overlook  and  de- 
spise. Some  of  our  readers  will  be  surprised  when  we 
tell  them  that  we  have  really  seen  it  hinted  in  an  English 
magazine  since  Brother  Updegraff' s  death  that  "  he  was 
a  disappointed  man,  having  failed  in  the  w^ork  he  at- 
tempted to  do."  Well!  He  was  the  most  triumphant  and 
joyful  "disappointed"  man  that  w^e  have  ever  known, 
and  we  are  convinced  that  he  was  the  most  successful 
man  that  ever  "failed!"  Ah!  All  such  criticism  and 
obser\^ation  is  but  current  comment  on  Paul's  declarations 
concerning  the  inability  of  the  natural  man  to  discern 
spiritual  things,  and  that  the  spiritual  man  is  discerned  of 
no  man.  When  the  works  and  the  memory  of  all  those 
men  wdio  would  seek  to  chain  liberty,  or  to  extinguish 
the  fire  of  Holiness,  or  to  act  as  lords  over  God's  herit- 
age, are  long  ago  forgotten,  then  still  the  works  of  David 
Updegraff  will  live  on,  to  bless  an  increasing  number  of 
souls  and  to  meet  him  with  great  reward  on  the  final 
reckoning  day. 

Revivalism  is,  we  trust,  now  a  permanent  factor  in  ag- 
gressive Quakerism.     It  is  true,  as  we  have  seen  in  this 


308  MEMOIR  OF  DA  VID  B.  UPDEGRAFF. 

narrative,  that  this  work  had  begun  before  David's  minis- 
try had  commenced,  but  it  received  a  mighty  impetus 
and  extension  under  his  labors,  and  more  efficient  meth- 
ods were  introduced  by  him  for  carrying  on  this  work, 
so  that  now,  in  many  Friends'  meetings,  the  revival  is  a 
fixed  institution;  and  the  number  is  growing.  This  is 
better  than  building  "  three  a  day,'-'  frame,  brick,  or  stone 
church  edifices.  For  these  will  crumble  and  decay. 
Whoever  can  rise  up  to  stem  an  anti-revival  tide  which 
is  setting  in  in  some  parts  of  Methodism,  or  to  make  place 
for  Holy  Ghost  revivals  in  churches  which  have  never 
known  them,  at  least  ui  recent  generations,  will  do  his 
church  a  service  which  David  Updegraff  assisted  in  doing 
for  his.  And  it  will  be  service,  we  venture  to  judge,  of 
greater  value  to  that  church  than  even  if  he  were  to  en- 
dow a  National  University  under  its  control. 

Tolcralion  is  bound  to  be  tolerated  in  the  Friends' 
church.  We  do  not  know  that  the  ordinances  will  ever 
obtain  authoritative  recognition.  We  do  not  predict  that. 
David  never  strove  for  that.  But  we  dare  to  predict  that, 
with  the  growing  spirituality  of  the  church,  the  increas- 
ing number  who  .see  the  scriptural  authority  for  the  two 
simple  ordinances  of  the  Christian  religion,  the  growing 
sentiment  against  the  injustice  of  such  intolerance  as  is 
yet  exhibited,  especially  towards  a  minister  who  will  obey 
God  and  the  dictates  of  his  own  conscience  in  the  mat- 
ter— we  say,  we  venture  to  predict  that  the  little  smooth 
stone  from  David's  sling-shot  has  hit  the  Goliah  in  a  vital 
spot,  and  after  a  few  more  struts  and  strides,  he  will 
stagger  and  fall  among  the  slain  of  the  Lord.  So  that 
we  believe,  under  David  Updegraff 's  faithful,  fearless, 
self-sacrificing  ministry,  forces  have  been  set  in  motion 
that  will  never  be  stilled  until  Quakers  everywhere  shall 


HIS  WORKS  DO  FOLLOW  HIM.  -^09 

be  free,  without  fear  of  those  over  them  in  the  Lord,  to 
thus  fulfill  all  righteousness  whenever  under  the  light  of 
the  Spirit,  the  Word,  and  their  consciences,  they  see  it 
imcumbent  upon  them  to  do  so. 

Ho/ mess  is  spreading  in  the  Friends'  church,  and  its 
interdenominational  movements  are  extending  as  never 
before.  In  both  of  these  directions  the  work  of  Brother 
Updegraff  is  destined  to  advance  and  increase.  Few,  if 
any,  of  the  distinguished  evangelists  and  revivalistic  mem- 
bers in  his  own  denomination  but  what  are  sound  in  doc- 
trine, and  most  of  them  definite  in  testimony  upon  this 
great  central  theme  of  Christianity.  Many  of  those  who 
are  blazing  the  way  for  their  people  in  other  churches, 
are  men  and  women  who  lighted  their  torches  at  fires 
which  he  helped  to  kindle.  What  might  be  called  the 
Updegraff  stamp  (as  seen  in  characteristics  we  have  noted, 
and  in  features  of  Mountain  Lake  Park  Camp  Meeting)  will 
be  seen  and  felt  in  the  Holiness  movement  for  many  days  to 
come.  We  would  not,  indeed,  be  surprised  if  the  great 
camp-meeting  which  he  so  successfully  launched  and  pi- 
loted for  about  nine  years  were  to  become  the  nucleus  of 
a  more  gigantic  Holiness  movement  than  the  church  or 
the  world  has  ever  yet  known. 

Nor  should  we  close  this  simple  tribute  to  his  memory, 
and  prophecy  of  the  continuance  of  his  work,  without  re- 
membrance of  the  precious  children  that  have  come  up 
under  that  sacred  roof,  and  midst  associations  and  influ- 
ences so  hallowed  as  those  which  attended  their  dear 
father.  F^our  noble  men,  four  noble  women,  live  as  the 
natural  monuments  of  his  life  and  love.  They  partake 
very^  largely  of  his  genius,  his  talents  and  his  strength. 
No  one  of  them  has,  as  yet,  we  think,  quite  reached  the 
age  of  their  father,    at  the  beginning  of  his  mini.stry. 


310  MEMOIR  OF  DAVID  B.  UPDEGRAFF.. 

Most,  if  not  all  of  them,  have  had  a  personal  acquaint- 
ance with  the  God  of  their  father.  Some  of  them  are 
a])iding  in  that  perfect  love  which  so  charmed  his  life.  We 
have  wondered  if  upon  some  of  them  his  mantle  might 
not  fall.     May  God  graciously  grant  it! 

As  we  draw  these  pages  to  a  close,  we  are  more  than 
ever  conscious  of  the  weakness  and  unworthiness  of  our 
tribute  to  the  great  and  good  man.  Studying  him  the 
more  and  more  closely,  as  we  have  penned  these  lines,  we 
have  become  more  and  more  deeply  impressed  with  the 
grandeur  of  his  character,  and  the  goodness  of  his  life. 
Our  own  heart  was  knit  to  him  in  life,  as  the  heart  of 
Jonathan  to  David.  We  seem  quite  unable  yet  to  believe 
him  gone  from  among  us.  His  presence  and  friendship 
do  not  appear  to  be  things  of  the  past.  He  lives  more 
in  our  heart,  even,  than  in  our  memory.  He  has  en- 
grained himself  in  our  very  life. 

We  join  with  our  beloved  Brother  Clark  in  these  words 
of  farewell: 

Fare  thee  well,  beloved  brother  and  spiritual  leader  and 
helper  and  guide.  Thou  wast  ever  firm  and  brave  and 
steadfast  for  the  truth.  Thou  wast  ever  tender  and  lov- 
ing and  affectionate  toward  the  lambs  of  the  Hock.  Thou 
hast  been  very  pleasant  to  me,  my  Brother  David.  I  miss 
thee  at  every  turn.  God  give  me  grace  to  follow  thee  as 
thou  didst  follow  Christ.  May  He  strengthen  me  to  do 
my  little  work  faithfully  and  well,  as  thou  didst  thy  great 
work.  And  in  His  own  good  time  may  we  meet  again, 
where  there  is  no  more  sin,  and  no  more  sorrow,  and  no 
more  death.     Glory  to  the  lyamb. 


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Clark 

David  B.  Updegraff  and  his  work. 

am  9 

m                                *W^pp 

■*§,'                                           "^ 

BRITTLE  DO  NOT 
PHOTOCOPY 

/ 


